Fate's Wide Wheel
by Ladyhawke Legend
Summary: Archer's lost love joins the crew as they discover a species where the women rule and men are seen as second-class citizens. What will happen when Enterprise's men are seen as trophies and kidnapped? Please R&R! Sequel to Somewhere in the Night. 14's up!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**A/N: Okay, here is the start of the sequel to "Somewhere in the Night" where I first introduced the character of Mai. If you haven't read that story you'll probably still enjoy this one, but it does have some important background information for this current story. I'm writing this story from different points of view. "SWITN" was mainly seen through Archer's eyes. Chapter 1 is from Mai's perspective. The first few chapters will deal with Mai coming aboard **_**Enterprise**_**, and then I will delve into the main part of the plot, allowing the crew to do some exploring and meet a new species. Please let me know what you think about this new story by leaving a review, and any suggestions are welcome. I hope you like it. **

**Thanks once again to my faithful beta reader, LadyRainbow. She rocks!!**

**Chapter 1**

**A New Beginning or an Old Wound?**

Major Mairead Donnelly sat in her seat aboard the Vulcan transport vessel, _Sh'Mire_,trying not to squirm. She was attempting, and succeeding, to maintain a cool, calm, collected, and professional demeanor. Her eleven squad members were watching her, looking to her as their commanding officer. Major Donnelly was the leader of an elite tactical and rescue Military Assault Command Operations (MACO) unit.

Her unit had received a transfer order six days ago to serve aboard the Starfleet flagship _NX-01 Enterprise_. This was a change from their temporary assignment on Earth at West Point, New York where they had been stationed to train a new class of special level MACO soldiers to be able to do what the major's squad did. The training consisted of highly efficient and complex stealth insertion, intelligence gathering, and combat skills that she and her team had been proficient at for five years now.

Part of the reason for the assignment on Earth had been to help Donnelly deal with the death of her husband, Tom Branson. He was a MACO corporal serving in a different unit. He had been killed in action defending a group of cargo haulers about three months ago. Being stationed on Earth had allowed Major Donnelly to plan and hold Tom's funeral and take care of his unfinished business.

Now her superiors had deemed her fit and ready to move on to a new assignment, a new mission. They felt a complete change in atmosphere would be the most beneficial thing for her. She agreed on some levels with their reasoning, but where they had ordered her to go had really shaken her up. Normally, she had a steel spine and took up any challenge with a "Bring It On" attitude, but this assignment was different, different because it involved Captain Jonathan Archer.

Mairead Donnelly had almost killed her older brother for initiating the whole situation. She knew right away the he had somehow talked Archer into this transfer; they were old friends. She had confronted her meddling, Irish brother.

_"I asked ya ta tell Jonny about Tommy's death, Fergus," Mairead almost shouted at her brother, via the vidphone, "not to git 'im involved. I didn'ta ask ta be put aboard his ship!" Her Irish brogue came on thick in her anger._

_Fergus had at least enough sense to look guilty. His blue eyes pled with her to understand. "Mai lass, I thought I was helpin' ya. I thought that if ya'd be 'round old friends, ya'd come out of the funk that ya've been in since Tommy's death." He ran a hand through his short, blonde hair._

_"Ya know what 'appens when you 'ASSUME' right, Fergus?!" Mairead demanded._

_"'It makes an arse outta you and me,'" Fergus quoted the old saying. "I really thought Jonny could help ya. Ya've always looked up to 'im. He was there for ya more than I was. I'm sorry, Mai. I didn't mean ta over step me bounds." Fergus' Irish brogue was just as strong._

_Mairead's stormy blue eyes swirled in conflict as she spoke. "Well, tis too late now, Fergus. I 'ave me orders and I've got to follow 'em. I guess I shoulda sent Jonny a message meself. Ya don't know what ya've done, oh brother of mine."_

_"Why tis this so hard for ya, Mai?" Fergus was flabbergasted by her anger. "You and Jonny were the besta friends once. He was at the weddin' and everythin' seemed all right. You were at _Enterprise's _launch and again things seemed good. What 'appened lass?"_

_Mairead hadn't wanted to give her brother a confession of her sin against friendship. "Tis none of your concern, Fergus." She evaded his question completely. "I jist wish ya would've consulted me first. I know ya did it outta love lad, but it was the wrong call," she said softening her tone considerably. She loved her big brother, but he was just clueless sometimes, plus she had never told Fergus about the incident between her and Archer._

_"I know that now, and I swear ta ya, Mai, that I won't ever forget to consult ya again," Fergus said humbly. "I jist want my little sister to be happy. I only had good intentions."_

_"I love ya too, ya Irish toad," Mairead told him, ending the argument._

The reason Major Donnelly didn't think her brother's interfering with Captain Archer was a helpful action was a very painful one, at least to the major; in fact, it might just ruin her and her career if she wasn't careful. Jonathan Archer had been at one time and still was, despite the fact that Donnelly had been married, the love of her life. She had never told Archer this fact, hence her problem.

Captain Archer had been a role model, a mentor and instructor, and then a best friend. The major, however, had fallen for him the second she met him through Fergus. Archer was ten years older than she was and had her spellbound with all he had accomplished and all the experience in Starfleet he had. He was handsome, intelligent, skilled at flying, and he was always so patient and kind. Donnelly had done everything she could to be around him, and it had delighted her that almost all of their interests had coincided. When he had agreed to help her through flight school and Starfleet Training, she had been ecstatic. His friendship had been so fulfilling for a while, until she'd wanted more.

Mairead had been too shy and too scared to see if he would be interested in her romantically. She knew her feelings were more than a school girl crush, but she didn't want to ruin the great friendship and rapport they had going. Archer meant too much to her to not at least have the strong friendship they did have. So, she pined away after him, all the while doing everything she could to be a real friend to him. Having his respect and guidance would have to do.

That was all good until the Christmas up at Colonel Monroe's cabin, where she blew it big time. After that she couldn't look him in the eye or really speak to him for that matter. She was too ashamed and too embarrassed. She had pushed their friendship too far and she'd lost him, which was her worst fear come true. Even though he had never confronted her about the incident or spoken any harsh or cross words to her about it, he had withdrawn from her. She felt the loss of his respect and his disapproval toward her actions. They parted still friends, but not on good terms, at least in her opinion.

Seeing Jonathan Archer again after five years would be paradoxical. It would be positively invigorating to see him again, to be in his presence, but it would also be absolutely terrifying too. If losing Tommy hadn't been enough, now she had to face the man she truly loved again, knowing that love was not returned.

Now she would be serving under Archer's command as a MACO soldier. She knew her decision to leave Starfleet and join the MACOs had upset Archer too. She had left a promising career in Starfleet to pursue Tom Branson. He had been a MACO and wouldn't give her the time of day, until she became a MACO, and then she had wowed him with her proficiency; in fact she had far surpassed him in every aspect of being a MACO. She continually advanced, whereas Tom's cocky attitude kept him at the rank of a corporal. Tom was supposed to be a distraction from Archer, and deep down she had wanted to see if she could make him jealous or uncover in him any feelings other than friendship. She had even made a big deal about marrying Tom to see how Archer would react, but it massively backfired on her.

She went ahead and married Tom, because she had made her bed and now she was going to lie in it. She had to see it through; she had started it and she had to finish it. Mairead never really loved Tom, but she had to make good on her commitment. His death was gut-wrenching and tore her heart out. She had lost the one stable constant in her life; she had been comfortable with Tom and was used to him always being there, even though she wasn't in love with him. Now that he was gone, she didn't know what to do. The only choice she saw she had was to throw herself into her job. It was ironic that her whole reason for joining the MACOs was gone, but she still wanted to hold on to it.

A comm crackling to life brought her back to the present. "_Enterprise _to_ Sh'Mire, _please respond," a soft and feminine voice requested.

The Vulcan captain stoically signaled for his comm officer to reply to the _Enterprise's_ hail. The major felt her stomach flutter and her nervousness build, like an animal trying to claw its way out of her. Her outside appearance betrayed none of her inner turmoil. She was a good actress, especially in front of her men; she had to set the example for them. Her honey blonde hair was back in a tight French braid that went about to her shoulders. Her gray camouflage MACO uniform was pressed and clean. She had already replaced her West Point patch with that of one from _Enterprise _on her left shoulder. The other shoulder had a patch with a Mako shark on it. Her boots were spit and polished to a nice shine.

Mairead was aware of the conversation between the Vulcan captain, Saron, and the voice from the _Enterprise_. She figured it must be Ensign Hoshi Sato, the _Enterprise's_ Communications Officer. Mairead had read up on all the key personnel aboard _Enterprise_ in an attempt to know what she was walking into; she especially studied the senior staff's service records. She had also read up on the _Enterprise's _mission logs and reports to Starfleet Headquarters to see what they had actually been doing for the last five years.

Ensign Sato had a very impressive record. Her linguistic skills and pressure under fire had earned her many commendations. The young Japanese woman was looking at a promotion to Lieutenant soon. She was also researching into how to create a multilingual matrix for the Universal Translator and that had Mairead fascinated. Sato had also been a language teacher in Brazil, reminding Mairead of her sister-in-law, Fergus' wife. She taught communications skills at Stanford University in California.

It had thrilled Mairead to see that Commander Charles Tucker III, or Trip, was still included among the senior staff as _Enterprise's_ Chief Engineer. She had heard that he had transferred to Starfleet's second NX class starship, _Columbia_. Trip was an old friend and hopefully seeing him again would bring her a little comfort. Mairead had liked Trip from the moment she meet him years ago, through Archer. She had always thought the native Floridian was an attractive and fun loving guy, but her attraction had been centered on Jonathan Archer alone. Trip was really like another brother to her. He had always treated her as such and she just felt safe around him. He had never let her down and had been at times a great confidant, but not with anything to do about Archer. Mairead never spoke to Trip about that; she couldn't.

Her thoughts now turned to Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, as Saron and Sato went over the docking protocols for their two ships. Reed was _Enterprise's_ Tactical and Armory Officer; the man she had to now report to aboard _Enterprise_. She technically outranked him, a major in the MACOs was equivalent to a captain in Starfleet, but she would have to accept Reed as her superior aboard _Enterprise_. That didn't bother her one bit. She wasn't in the military for power and authority; she was in it for the adventure.

Reed was a Brit and that made Mairead smile wryly. Working with him would be interesting to say the least. His service record had been impeccable. The work he had done on redesigning and installing phase cannons, torpedo launchers, and experiments in forcefield technology was extensive. He knew his weapons. Some of the expeditions and investigations he had led were extraordinary. He was skilled at solving crimes as well as planning and executing tactical strategy. Picking his brain would be fun Mairead decided. She might be able to learn a lot from this man.

The only trepidation about Reed she had came from information she had received about him through Major Matthew Hayes. A twinge of sadness and sorrow pulled through her as she remembered her fallen comrade. Hayes and Mairead had done some MACO training together at West Point and had become good friends. In all things militarily, they thought alike. Matty had taught her a lot about how to be a true soldier and what leadership over others under your command really meant. Most of her hand-to-hand combat skills Matty had helped her develop and hone. He knew how to fight better than anyone she knew.

Major Hayes had sent her a few subspace messages while he and his MACO unit were stationed aboard _Enterprise _during its Xindi mission in the Delphic Expanse. Mainly, he would blow off steam about Reed: how the Lieutenant would ignore his suggestions and fight him on security issues, how Hayes had gone over Reed's head to Archer and the disaster that had been, how Reed was paranoid that Hayes wanted to take over his job, how the two had tried to pulverize each other, and so on.

Matty's last message had been different. Somewhere along the way he and Reed had come to respect each other and work well together. Hayes had admitted to her that he had a lot of preconceptions about people in Starfleet that he had to overcome. He knew he had been part of the problem with Reed. His shortcomings needed to be worked on too. Then Matty was killed in action, just like Tommy now had been.

Mairead felt her eyes tear up, but she refused to let her emotions get the better of her. She envied the Vulcans' precise control over their emotions. It wasn't an easy task to suppress them. A human could do it, but only for short periods of time. Major Donnelly wanted to set a record for her species' emotional control. It was the only way to deal with Tommy's death. She just couldn't face it right now; grief wasn't the only emotion that threatened her sanity, guilt did too. She also knew she had to push down her feelings toward Archer. She had to pretend they didn't exist to be able to work with him again.

"Are you ready to depart, Major?" Saron's deep and rich voice asked her, breaking into her thoughts. He was a tall, dark-haired Vulcan with streaks of gray throughout his hair. Mairead would never get over the pointed ears Vulcans all had.

"As soon as I receive yer go ahead, Cap'n," Mairead replied, "and receive Cap'n Archer's permission to come aboard _Enterprise_."

"I will escort you and your team to the airlock," Saron then told her. "My men will help you transport your belongings and equipment to the _Enterprise_."

Major Donnelly stood with military precision, snapping to attention in front of Saron; all eleven members of her squad stood with her and snapped to attention as well. Saron raised a long, pointed eyebrow at the impressive display. These humans had been nothing but professional, to the point, and emotionally calm. They were warriors, but not with the single-mindedness of the Klingons. It surprised Saron, but he also saw it as refreshing. Maybe humans weren't such an immature species after all.

With a curt nod, Saron headed off his bridge, signally some of his men to follow and some to go and retrieve the MACOs' cargo. He knew that Major Donnelly and her people were right behind him. It was a short distance to the airlock where the _Sh'Mire_ had docked with the _Enterprise_. The group waited a moment as the chamber pressurized properly.

"Thank you, Cap'n Saron, for givin' us a lift," Mairead couldn't help but quip; Vulcans were fun to ruffle now and then with human colloquialisms.

Saron's elegant eyebrow shot up again at the major's terminology, but he replied kindly, "It was a fascinating study of human nature. I am pleased that we could be of assistance in this matter."

Mairead heard the airlock door click and slide open. Now came the test of her strength. In moments she would see Jonny; Captain Archer, she had to correct herself. She let herself fall into full military mode like a second skin. She snapped to once again, straight lines and tight movements. Her squad mirrored her exactly. They would be the perfect image of military exactness.

Saron and a few of his men went through the airlock first, to greet the crew of the _Enterprise _and to announce the arrival of Major Donnelly and her squad. A cold fist clenched in Mairead' stomach, but a tingle slid down her spine, part anticipation and part excitement. She really did want to see Jonny again. She continued her facade of the perfect soldier; alert, cautious, meticulous, thorough, and professional.

"Greeting and felicitations, Captain Archer," Mairead heard Saron say cordially.

"Welcome aboard, Captain Saron," Mairead then heard Jonny's voice answer the greeting. Her gut tightened further and the tingling in spine increased greatly. "I was told that you have some passengers to drop off." Mairead had to stop thinking of Archer as Jonny, but she couldn't; it was who he was to her.

"Yes," was Saron's reply, not responding to the humor in Archer'svoice. "I present to you the Seventy-Eighth Special Tactics and Rescue Squad from Earth's Military Assault Command Operations," he went on with a very formal introduction.

At his words, as if right on cue, Major Donnelly marched forward through the _Sh'Mire's _airlock and then through _Enterprise's_. Her team came right after her, all pomp and circumstance. She stopped few meters from Archer. She took an appropriate glance at Archer to acknowledge her new CO, after which she then stared straight ahead at full attention, straight and rigid.

"Permission to come aboard, sir!" she said crisply, her Irish accent not as pronounced.

Archer gazed at her for a moment, studying her and her team. Then he said curtly, "Permission granted to you and your squad, Major Donnelly." With that said, he stepped aside and motioned for his senior staff and the ship's current group of MACOs to also step aside and allow the major and her men to come fully aboard the ship.

With sharp steps and turns, Mairead commanded her men, "Ten hut! Forward march!" All twelve MACOs moved in perfect sync and with practiced skill as they marched aboard. The major stopped again in front of Archer in his new position in the corridor of his ship. She made a sharp right turn to do so and the rest of her men moved into three lines behind her of three, four, and four. They all stood at full attention once more, straight and tall. Their stances were hard and proper.

"Squad Seventy-Eight, Special Tactics and Rescue Unit, reporting for duty as ordered, sir!" The Major was again crisp with her words.

"Acknowledged and so noted, Major," Archer responded to the report with formality. Then he said, "At ease." The unit relaxed only a notch as they eased into a little wider stance, arms at their sides or placed behind their backs.

The whole time Mairead was following all the proper military protocols she was carefully observing her once best friend, Captain Archer. Command of Starfleet's flagship had aged him, plus the five years that had gone by since she had last seen him. He was still stunningly handsome with his strong jaw, long nose, short brown hair, hypnotizing hazel-green eyes, broad shoulders and chest, and long legs. He looked like he belonged here. He still seemed confidant and commanding. He appeared a little tired, but damn he looked good! Mairead had to fight to control her breathing and the tingling in her spine intensified once more.

Archer was surrounded by his senior staff. Mairead recognized all of them from the pictures in their personnel files. Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, Trip, and Commander T'Pol, Archer's First Officer, Science Officer, and a Vulcan female stood off the Captain's right. Ensigns Hoshi Sato and Travis Mayweather, Helmsman, along with Dr. Phlox, the Chief Medical Officer and a Denobulan were standing off to the Captain's left.

Behind them were twenty-four MACOs; twelve of whom were leaving and twelve of whom were staying. They were also standing in a professional at east position. Mairead recognized Sergeant Nathanial Kemper right away. A sense of delight shifted through her. She was still miffed at Hayes for asking her to fail Kemper when he had tried to out to be assigned to her unit. He should have passed with flying colors. The young man had the skills, the intelligence, the determination, and the expertise in every way to have benefited Mairead's squad. But as a personal favor to Matty, because he really didn't want to lose Kemper from his squad, she had flunked Nate out. Hayes still owed Mairead big time for the favor, and now sadly she'd never get to collect the debt.

Maybe this assignment would be a good one after all. Maybe she could handle this situation. Mairead did not recognize the other MACOs, but she assumed the young blonde woman towards the front of their lines was Corporal McKenzie and the slightly older Asian man was Corporal Chang. Matty had had nothing but good things to say about all his people. She felt confidant she could work with this new group of MACOs.

"On behalf of _Enterprise_ and her crew, welcome aboard," Archer's strong voice interrupted her appraisals. Then all the introductions began. Through it all Mairead remained outwardly curt and straight-laced, but inside the nervous, clawing animal was going wild.

When Trip shook her hand and formally introduced himself to her and her men, he winked at her. It took everything Mairead had inside of her not to smile at him. At least he seemed happy to see her; that was comforting. Lieutenant Reed had a strong grasp and an air of total no-nonsense about him. He was all Matty said he was; lean, wiry, confidant, a little cold, but very calculating and very alert. He eyes missed nothing; he watched everything that was going on like a hawk.

Ensign Mayweather had a firm handshake, but he smiled brightly at her. Ensign Sato also smiled warmly at Mairead and shook her hand with purpose. Dr. Phlox took the major's hand in both of his and patted it gently. His large, blue eyes seemed to sparkle. T'Pol even shook Mairead's hand cordially. The Vulcan must have spent way too much time around humans to pick up such a gesture; normally they didn't like to be touched. It was another thing to comfort Mairead about this new assignment. Kemper shook her hand enthusiastically. McKenzie and Chang did so as well, but were more subdued.

"Well," Jonny began after all the meeting and greeting, "I'm going to ask Ensign Sato, T'Pol, and Dr. Phlox to take care of our Vulcan guests. Our chef has prepared a fine meal for you all," he addressed Saron and his men. _Come on Mai; he's not Jonny out here, he's Captain Archer_, Mairead told herself stringently.

"Thank you, Captain," Saron responded. "It would be agreeable with us to eat at this time and perhaps see more of your Starfleet vessel."

Archer nodded at him in agreement, and then he went on, "Lieutenant Reed and Ensign Mayweather will look after the major's men; giving them a tour, assigning them quarters, getting them acquainted with our protocols and systems, and getting them something to eat as well. Kemper, McKenzie, and Chang should tag along too. The rest of the MACOs should return to their stations or finish preparing to depart.

"Commander Tucker and I will give Major Donnelly a tour and orient her with department heads and other key personnel. Later she will meet with Lieutenant Reed to go through all the security briefings she will need to have to be brought up to speed on how things operate aboard _Enterprise_," he finished.

Mairead listened attentively to all he was saying, but she couldn't help but observe as Trip finally recognized a familiar face in the crowd of her men, Sergeant Ellen Bates; not all of Mairead's men were actually men, some were women too. The major had to bite her tongue to stay serious as she watched his jaw drop to the floor in shock. Trip had never been very good at disguising his feelings, and it appeared he still wasn't. Trip and Ellen had a little romantic history together from years ago, and he obviously didn't realize that she was part of Mairead's unit.

"You heard Captain Archer MACOs, fall in line!" Major Donnelly ordered her men. They fell in line almost instantly ready to follow their designated tour guides, Reed and Mayweather.

"We'll make sure all your belongings and equipment make it to where they're supposed to be," Archer told the new MACOs. "Dismissed," he said to all of those assembled.

Reed and Mayweather took over the major's squad and led them off down the corridor. As Mairead watched them go, a bolt of excitement hit her. She was on "the" starship _Enterprise_. She was going to get to explore the final frontier at last. It was very ironic that the man who had once mentored her to do just that, during her brief time in Starfleet, now had made it possible for her to travel to distance worlds and meet new species as a MACO. Maybe, just maybe, Fergus had been right in talking Jonny into this transfer.

The Vulcans left the corridor as well with their respective escorts. The other MACOs had done as Archer had ordered, leaving Mairead alone with Trip and Captain Archer. Mairead was stilling standing in the at ease position in front of Archer. It was Trip who broke all the formality first.

"Okay," he drawled in his strong Southern accent. "I can't take it anymore. Come here, Mai," he demanded playfully, using her nickname.

He swooped forward gathering the major in one of his typical Tucker styled bear hugs. He lifted Mairead off the floor and swung her around at least three times before setting her back down again. A little stunned, a little out of breath, and a little disoriented she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Oh my," she gasped. "Hi ya, Trip, lad. Tis good ta see ya too." Her Irish brogue was back. Archer's chuckling at the highly emotional display of friendship reminded her of his presence.

"Don't I get a hug too?" Archer asked trying to sound left out.

Mairead turned to him. His formality was gone too, but he still seemed slightly distant to her despite his words. She tried not to gulp as she replied, "Of course, Cap'n."

She extracted herself from Trip's monster grip and slid her arms around Archer's waist, up his back and shoulders to pull him into a hug. He did same with her. It was then that some kind of wall separating them collapsed or a dam between them broke. Jonny hugged her to him for all he was worth. It took Mairead by surprise, but she couldn't help but embrace him more tightly too.

Suddenly it was like no time had passed and nothing had come between them. Mairead felt herself instinctively lean into the embrace, pressing against Jonny's broad chest. He was at least a half a foot taller than she was. He was a little over six feet tall and she was barely five five. Her face rested against his shoulder and upper chest. Her head was the perfect resting spot for his chin. Mairead found herself clinging to him, absorbing his strength and inhaling his deep, masculine smell, along with his delightfully strong aftershave.

"Hi, Mai," he whispered softly in her ear. The tingling in Mairead's spine spiked at his words and their soft and tender tone. It had been way too long.

"Hi, Jonny," she whispered back, holding him more tightly to her, not wanting to let go of him. Her emotional detachment and control was gone; so much for setting a record. She felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She needed this so badly.

"God I've missed you, Mai," Jonny breathed with a trembling voice. "I'm so glad you're finally here."

"Me too lad, me too," Mairead said agreeing wholeheartedly with him. Jonny wasn't mad at her, he still cared about her, and he was still her friend. The way he was hugging her proved that to her and filled her with relief. The knot in her stomach loosened considerably. Hope threatened to blossom within her that maybe, just maybe, this could be a new beginning for her.

TBC

**Did any one catch my ode to "The Lord of the Rings"? I couldn't help it, the name just worked well for the Vulcan captain. I know the name is really spelled with a "u" in it, but I changed the spelling a little for my character. Let me know what you thought? Is it any good?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**A/N: The first part of this chapter deals with Malcolm and his reaction to the new MACO commander, Mai. It's sort of parts from chapter one from Malcolm's point of view. Then the rest of the chapter deals a little with Trip, Mai, and Jon's reunion, and Trip giving Jon a little lecture. This chapter helps set up what is to come later. I will delve more into the plot with the warrior woman species more in the following chapters. Please read and ****review!!**** I really do live off the feedback, so don't starve me. :)**

**Thanks again to LadyRainbow for helping me find Malcolm's voice and giving me pointers on how to make the story better. She's a great beta reader.**

**Chapter 2**

**Old Friends?**

Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, son of Stuart and Mary Reed, stood at the airlock door with a sense of heightened anticipation. In a few minutes, Major Mairead Donnelly and her elite squad of MACO soldiers would be coming aboard _Enterprise_. He would be losing twelve of the MACOs currently serving aboard _Enterprise_, ones he knew well and had grown to depend upon, but change was supposed to be good. He was actually looking forward to a new challenge, something he could lose himself in and sink his teeth into. Training a new squad of MACOs would fit that bill nicely; not to mention that Donnelly's unit was the best of the best.

Her squad first came to his attention through stories Sergeant Nate Kemper had told over a meal in the mess hall or after a training session in the Armory. Kemper had once applied to be a "Fighting Donnellys", as the major's squad was sometimes affectionately called. Kemper thought for sure he would pass all his tests and examinations. Somehow, however, Major Donnelly had found something in him lacking and had sent him back to his CO at the time, Major Matthew Hayes. Reed had no idea what it was, because Kemper was one damn fine soldier. The lieutenant smiled lightly at the thought of his one time adversary, Hayes, now deceased. Matthew Hayes had been one damn fine soldier too; it was a real shame to have lost him.

Sergeant Kemper had been sorely disappointed when he didn't make it onto Donnelly's team. He had wanted very badly to be part of the legendary Special Tactics and Rescue Squad; they got to have all the fun. Lately, they had had their hands full rooting out pockets of the terror group, Terra Prime, founded by John Paxton. They had located, surveyed, and destroyed several key Terra Prime bases around Earth and throughout the Sol System itself. Despite it all, Reed was sure Kemper now appreciated the adventures he had had aboard the _Enterprise_.

Malcolm Reed oversaw both his own Starfleet security teams and also the few MACO units that Captain Archer had requested join _Enterprise_ during its Xindi Mission. Reed had hated the idea at first because he felt threatened by it; it was like Archer didn't trust him or his people to do their jobs. As time went on Reed saw the wisdom in Archer's thinking in having such a strong and capable backup force behind his own. The MACOs had proven time and time again to be a valuable asset, and their assistance had been life saving, to say the least.

Now Malcolm would get to work with the MACOs' cream of the crop. He was excited, but nervous at the same time, for he didn't want to repeat the mistakes he had made with Hayes when he had first come on board. Hayes and Reed had butted heads from the moment they met: both stubborn and set in their ways, even though their goals were the same - protect the ship and the crew. Donnelly was rumored to be a stickler for protocol and demanding of her men, but she never asked them to do anything she wasn't willing to do herself. Malcolm appreciated that, for he was like that too. He was going to make a better effort to make these MACOs feel welcome and more at home, and he was going to give Donnelly the respect she deserved. He wanted this to work better this time around.

When the petite, blonde major marched through the airlock doors, issuing orders and following military protocol to the letter, he was blown away by her. His inner security instinct told him that she would be a great asset in helping to protect the ship. Reed noticed that her MACO uniform was neat, clean, and professional looking. Her boots even shone in the poor corridor lighting. He noted with pride that she had already donned a patch on her left shoulder, indicating that she now served aboard _Enterprise_ and that's where her loyalty would lie. _She's definitely different than Major Hayes, _Reed noted to himself. _It took the man three bloody weeks to change his patches, _Malcolm mused. _Donnelly's one up on him there. _

He watched her proficient and professional manner with a keen eye. Her own alertness and observation of her environment were probably only noticeable to him. He tended to take everything in around him as quickly as possible to assess threats and danger; she appeared to do the same thing. Malcolm couldn't help but like her eyes, again much like his own, stormy, grayish-blue in color. Right now her eyes were sharp and tight. Not only was she much prettier than her service file showed, her presence was both commanding and enlightening at the same time. It struck him as paradoxical that she could pull off a "don't mess with me or I'll kick your ass" persona, and yet lighten up the entire corridor by just stepping into it. He could understand how she and Captain Archer could be friends; they were an awful lot alike in stage presence and temperament. _She's beauty and brawn in one package, _Malcolm thought. _This could be a lot of fun._

After the Captain officially granted the new MACOs permission to come aboard _Enterprise_ and accepted the transfer of their unit to his command, he let them stand at ease. Malcolm watched Donnelly as she observed Archer. Though she hid her appraisal well, the tactical officer noticed a slight softening around her eyes as she looked Archer over. _I wonder what that means? _Malcolm pondered in his mind. _Well, they were supposed to have been good friends before _Enterprise, _and they haven't seen each other in years, _he answered his own question, and he decided it was only natural for her to show a little outward sign of that friendship.

The Captain had told Reed himself, how he and Major Donnelly had once been the best of friends; that she had actually joined Starfleet first, and then she had jumped ship and joined the MACOs instead. The Captain also explained to Reed that he was trying to help Donnelly get over her husband's death by transferring her to serve aboard _Enterprise._ So far Donnelly didn't act like her grief was overwhelming, but only time would tell if it would be a problem or not.

Malcolm felt a strange and uncharacteristic stab of envy at the fact that the Captain knew this magnificent warrior better than he did. She was a lovely woman too; working with her might be a treat on more than one level. He stopped himself right there because his thoughts had suddenly taken an inappropriate turn. _My father would have a field day if he knew the unprofessional territory my mind was straying into, _Malcolm chastised himself. She would be his subordinate, and even though she was a MACO and he was a Starfleet officer, the no fraternization rules were strongly in place. Still, no one could blame him for admiring a beautiful and talented woman when he saw one.

When Major Donnelly shook his hand, electricity shot through him. She had a strong, powerful grip, and he could tell she was not easily intimidated. _Bloody hell, why does she have to be so beautiful and deadly at the same time? _Malcolm thought as he tried to get a handle on his reaction to her touch. He introduced himself, however, with practiced detachment and professional courtesy. Her eyes meet his with cool respect, and yet he knew she was sizing him up. Well, hadn't he just done the same to her?

It was interesting to watch Trip Tucker, the _Enterprise's_ Chief Engineer, interact with Donnelly as well. Trip had known her before her assignment aboard _Enterprise_ too, and that only added to Reed's envy. Did everybody aboard know her, but him? It seemed very unfair to the Brit. It bothered him to see Trip wink at her after they shook hands. _Why does Commander Tucker always have to be so informal? He can't stay professional for more than two seconds, _Malcolm couldn't help but think about the situation. The major, to her credit, didn't crack a smile in return, but greeted him sternly and professionally. That was a good sign that she wasn't going to let personal feelings or old friends get in the way of her doing her job.

As Malcolm walked off with Mayweather and Donnelly's squad trailing behind him, he couldn't wait to start briefing her on _Enterprise's_ security needs. Again, he felt himself envy Archer and Tucker's friendship with her, and the fact that the Captain was going to monopolize her time for a while, to catch up with her after years of not seeing her. Reed shook himself mentally and cursed himself for his unprofessional thoughts. _Yes, Father would just love to reprimand me for all my human weaknesses, _came Malcolm's thoughts again. This was not going to be a problem, so he was attracted to the major; it was no big deal. He needed to concentrate on the new MACOs and their orientation. The security chief realized he had forgotten about the MACOs serving with Donnelly. Malcolm had almost ignored them by becoming enraptured by their commander. Regrouping himself, he switched gears back to them.

Unfortunately, for Malcolm, his momentary distraction didn't go unnoticed. Ensign Hoshi Sato, always noticing the small nuances of nonverbal communications, caught a few of his slips. Most people would have never known the inner struggle Malcolm was having with himself, for he hid it well, but Hoshi was special that way. As she helped T'Pol and Phlox lead their Vulcan guests down the corridor and past Reed, she wiggled her eyebrows meaningfully at him, letting him know that she had noticed. For a quick moment Malcolm stared at her in horror, and the feeling didn't fade even when Hoshi disappeared around the corner. _I so hope Hoshi doesn't make a big deal about this, _Malcolm fervently prayed, _or I'm in big bloody trouble._

* * *

"So did you bring 'em?" Trip asked his voice full of expectant excitement. He was looking at Mairead and rubbing his hands together.

Both she and Jon Archer chuckled at his giddiness. "And jist what would ya be referrin' to, Trip me boy?" Mairead came back at him with, knowing full well what he was asking about, but wanting to give her old friend a hard time.

"Yeah, Commander," Archer chimed in. "What _are_ you talking about?" Mairead was still standing next to the Captain after they had finally stopped hugging each other. He still had his arm around her back and waist, however, holding her close, and Trip didn't fail to notice this.

Trip rolled his eyes in exaggerated frustration. "Ya know," he drawled, "your squeeze box and fiddle."

Mairead's whole body shook with her mirth as she laughed. It moved her against Archer, but neither of them seemed to mind. "Oh Trip lad, I've missed the way ya express yerself," she finally got out. "And yes, I brought 'em," she added.

Archer looked down at her, his arm still holding her against his side and hip, but he couldn't seem to make himself let go of her. Trip tried to give the Captain a knowing look, but Archer didn't seem to notice it. "You mean you carted along your accordion and violin?" he asked Mairead with raised eyebrows. Both Archer and Mairead understood Trip-speak and had an easy time translating it. Mairead had played both instruments since she was tiny; they were an ingrained part of her Irish heritage. She loved to make music, especially jigs and reels. Music had always given Mairead solace when life got difficult for her.

"I never leave home without 'em," she told him.

Trip almost jumped for joy. "That's great, Mai! Now besides movie night, we can have a music night too. I just got a new harmonic and would love to play with ya." Mairead's Celtic style music fit well with the Bluegrass music he liked to play. The two types of music were very similar in nature, both made people want to get up and dance.

"What 'appened to your old harmonic, Trip?" Mairead asked. The last time she had checked no one could part Trip from the little mouth organ.

A sad and longing look briefly came over Trip's facial features. "I ended up tradin' it for a horse," he explained.

Mairead blinked at him in shock. "Ya traded it fer a horse?" she asked totally confused. She could feel Jonny chuckling beside her; it felt so good to have him this close.

Trip's mood brightened again almost instantly and he too laughed. "It's a long story darlin'. One I'd love to tell ya about when we have some free time to swap tall tales," he said.

"That would be lovely," Mairead replied. "I'm bettin' you have some fascinatin' stories to tell too, Jonny," she then addressed Archer. "I mean, Cap'n," she corrected herself out loud this time.

Jonny smiled warmly at her and gave her waist a squeeze. Mairead secretly enjoyed the tingly sensation his touch caused to move throughout her body. It was such an innocent touch, but Mairead couldn't help but let it feel like so much more. "When we're officially off duty we can call each other by our nicknames, but around the crew and on duty we should be more formal, but I'm sure you knew that. Although, I'm going to have to watch my tongue around you as well, Mai," he added the last with a laugh.

"It's easy to fall back on old routines," Trip interjected. "I'm gonna have ta watch what I say too. We ready to give _Major Donnelly_ her tour?" he asked changing the subject, emphasizing Mairead's rank and last name. Mairead saw Trip give Jonny another weird look and wondered what that was all about. Jonny ignored it.

"I'm more than ready," she said enthusiastically, still pondering the strange interchange between her two best friends. "I can't believe I'm aboard '_the Enterprise'_. This is a dream come true, Jon--, Cap'n," she corrected herself once again. Damn, this was going to be hard, especially with him so close and his arm around her.

"I was hoping you'd feel that way, and I hope your not too mad about Fergus' intervening, but he loves his little sister a whole lot," Archer said fishing for her true reaction to this whole situation.

He got it. "I was pretty pissed at 'im, at first. He stuck his nose in me business without consultin' me again, but he is me big brother. I fergit that sometimes he see things from a different perspective than meself. He really only wanted to help me, the Irish toad. But now that I'm actually 'ere…, I'm really, really glad 'bout it," she explained with a bright smile that lit up her whole face. "I think this'll be a nice change of pace."

Archer seemed to almost visibly relax. "Good," he told her. "I was worried that you'd be uncomfortable. I only want to help you, Mai." He cursed himself for using her nickname again; he couldn't seem to not use it. "You are first and foremost my friend, and if you are unhappy or don't want to be here, I'll honor whatever you want to do." He stepped away from her, but held on to her hand.

Mairead had to fight back the tears that began forming in her eyes. "I'm fine right 'ere, Jonny, really. I _want _to be 'ere." She desperately desired to add that she wanted to be here with him, but she quickly squashed that thought. All her old feelings were rushing back upon her; she still was in love with this man and now he was her commanding officer. It seemed that absence _had _made the heart grow fonder. Damn, this _was _going to be very hard, but it beat the alternative. At least this way, she was going to get to be around him almost every day and that was just fine by her; maybe not totally how she would wish it, but she had him in some form. She would also not have to think about losing Tommy as much.

"Sounds good to me," Archer answered her after a pause, finally letting go of her hand. "Let's get going with the tour. Trip and I have a lot to show you, Major."

"Can we do Engineerin' first?" Trip pretended to whine. "I'm dyin' to take Major Donnelly through there and show her my engine.

"_Your_ engine?" Jonny pretended to get after Trip.

"Yeah, _my_ engine," Trip said holding his ground. "Your daddy may have designed it, but I'm the one who babies her and takes care of her."

Mairead couldn't help but laugh at them. Nothing had changed; they still acted the same way, always trying to one up each other. "Enough you two. I'd like to go to the mess hall first and eat somethin' if you don't mind lads," she said just as playfully.

"Yes, ma'am," Archer responded with a smile. "This way," and with that the former "Three Musketeers" went to go get something to eat.

* * *

The tour took nearly two hours, and Mairead meet so many new people - department heads mostly - that she thought her head would explode. She felt like a new recruit again, right out of her initial MACO training. Mairead got to see the bridge, sickbay, the armory, the mess hall, the shuttle bay, the science labs, the gym, her quarters, the computer core, the command center, and they ended in Engineering.

Trip was in his element there; he took over the tour and literally overwhelmed her with all the changes and modifications he had come up with. He fussed over _his _warp engine like a proud parent; Mairead loved it. The ship was really impressive and huge, compared to most of the other Earth vessels she had traveled on. She found out it could hold a maximum of one hundred sixty people, but the crew compliment was only like eighty something, plus the twenty-four MACOs on board; so there was room enough for everyone.

Realizing that they had held their beloved friend up enough, they decided to let her go meet with Reed. He would be anxious to get her briefed and ready to do her job. Both Archer and Trip had thoroughly enjoyed being with Mai again. It brought back a lot of good memories and made them all feel really young again. Plus, it was fun to show off the wonders of _Enterprise _to her too; both Trip and Archer took a lot of pride in their ship.

"You need any guidance back to the Armory?" Archer asked her.

"Nope," she replied. "I think I can navigate meself there."

"Okay," he said reluctant to let her out of his sight. "After you get adjusted and settled, we should talk." He meant it to be a positive suggestion, but it came out sounding like a bad thing, like getting called into the principles office. "I mean we should spend time really catching up. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about," he amended.

Mai looked at him, and he saw her tear up again. Damn, he didn't want to hurt her feelings or open any old wounds. He felt like a high schooler all over again. He was trying to be careful in what he said and how he said it, but sometimes that didn't work. He didn't want to upset her about Tom, but he knew he needed to speak with her about his death.

"That would be good, Cap'n. I'd like that," she said very softly. She hadn't called him Jonny that time. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? It seemed as though from her words that he hadn't hurt her feelings, so she must be tearing up because she was what? Happy? Relieved? He wished he could tell.

"We should all get together and watch that new water polo championship game you just got, Cap'n," Trip suggested suddenly.

Mairead looked at Trip in disbelief. "Since when do ya follow water polo?" she asked.

"Oh since, Jon conned me into it one day and made me watch it with him," Trip joked.

"I did not," Archer said indignantly.

"No, he didn't," Trip said giving up the joke at Archer's hurt tone. "He just invited me to watch a match with him a few years ago. I decided to give it a chance and I liked it." He shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.

Mairead shook her head. "Some wonders never cease," she said with a small smile.

"Hey! Be nice," Trip teased. "I've come along way."

"I'd better git goin'," Mairead said suddenly serious. "I'll see ya two later. Thanks for the tour. It was a blast." She waved to them and then turned on her heel and headed out of Engineering.

"Well, I'd better go check with Commander T'Pol and see how our Vulcan friends are doing," the Captain told Trip and made to escape out of Engineering. He wanted to leave before Trip gave him a lecture; he could just feel it coming.

"Oh, no you don't, Cap'n," Trip informed his friend respectfully. "You ain't goin' anywhere until we have a little talk."

Archer looked at the chief engineer and tried to play dumb. "About what?"

"Come on, Cap'n," Trip insisted. "I saw how you were reacting to Mai. I thought you weren't gonna let how you feel about her be a problem."

"It isn't," Archer said defensively, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"You couldn't keep your hands off of her for more than five seconds the whole time you've been around her," Trip accused him. "Well, a least when you haven't been in front of the crew."

Archer glared at Trip. "You make it sound obscene, Trip. I admit that I liked having her close to me again, but I wasn't inappropriate. Besides, _I'm_ not the one who started it. You're the one that made a big spectacle by picking her up and teaching her how to fly." His tone had turned bitter.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Trip admitted, a little chagrined, dipping his head. "I couldn't help it. I missed her too ya know. It was almost like seein' Lizzie walk through the door, and I got a little carried away. I'm just sayin' that_ you've_ gotta be more careful than that," Trip then warned his friend, pulling him to the side of the warp engine and lowering his voice. "She's your subordinate now. She's still a good friend and you should treat her that way, but you need to watch your actions more closely from now on. You can't let yourself get lost in being her friend, because I know you; you won't be able to stop there, not this time. I'm not the one who's in love with her, _you _are, and I'm not the captain, _you _are. You confessed that little fact to me, remember? You've got to put a little distance between the two of you for _your _sake."

Before Mairead had come aboard, Archer had let Trip know how he really felt about the young MACO. Over the years, his concern for her and his friendship with her had changed. He had realized he felt a lot more than friendly affection for her; he was full blown in love with her. It had almost killed him to watch her marry another man, but he had been too cowardly to say anything to her. He didn't want to lose her as a friend by letting her know his true feelings and not have her return them, so he had said nothing and let her marry someone else.

In the course of the long, late night talk Archer had had with Trip, it was brought to the Captain's attention that Mairead might have returned his strong emotions and had married Tom only because she thought Archer hadn't wanted her. Now Tom was gone; an obstacle out of the way, but by having her assigned to _Enterprise_ she was still unattainable because she was under Archer's command. The Captain had tried to convince himself that he could handle being around her and just continue to be her friend and mentor. Trip was concerned that Archer wouldn't be able to handle the situation, that temptation would get the better of him. Jonathan Archer was a good man, a man of principles and high standards, but he was also very much in love.

"I don't want her to think that I'm not her friend any more. The last time we saw each other we barely said two words to each other. I didn't know what to say to her at the time. I wasn't mad at her, but she might have gotten that impression because of the dumb way I acted. I just wanted her to understand that everything is all right between us. I was trying to help her feel comfortable and safe; you know, put her at ease," Archer said trying to justify his actions. "A little hugging and touching isn't a bad thing, Trip." He kept his voice down as well; it wouldn't do to have some crewmen overhear their conversation.

Trip rolled his eyes at Archer. "Normally, I'd agree with ya, but in your case it's different. It's too big a temptation, Cap'n. You need to be there for her, but at a distance. I get what you're sayin'. I was tryin' to do the same thing for Mai, but the hug would have been enough. I'm not tellin' this to hurt you or get you all upset. I'm just tryin' to help you see what you're doin' before it gets outta hand. You don't even realize you're doin' it. I'm just concerned 'bout you. I don't want to see you make a big mistake and really get hurt. Besides, you asked me to be your conscience for you, remember?"

Archer wanted to be angry at Trip and tell him to back off and leave him alone, but as usual Trip was right. He wasn't being objective towards Mai, Trip was, and he _had_ asked Trip to point out potential problems to him. "Okay, I'll watch how I behave around her with more vigilance. I'll tone it down and work on how I react to her. Satisfied."

"For now," Trip said eyeing his friend carefully. "I told you I didn't want to see ya torture yourself. Can ya handle her being here?"

"I have to," Archer came back at Trip, "for her sake."

"I hope ya know what yer doin'," Trip replied.

"Me too, Trip, me too," was the Captain's comment. Then he tried to change the direction of the conversation. "She really does look good, doesn't she?"

Trip had to admit that time hadn't changed Mairead that much. "She looks almost the same as when _Enterprise_ firstleft space dock. She might have a few more worry lines on her face and around her eyes, but that's about it. And those are probably from all she's seen and experienced bein' a soldier. I'm sure she's seen a lot of painful stuff."

"I'm sure of that too," Archer agreed. "She seemed upbeat and positive, but I could tell some of it was an act. Between the two of us we need to find out how Tom's death has really affected her. Then we can help her."

"Don't force it," Trip advised. "Let her come to you. When she feels she's ready she will. I can tell she still looks up to you, ya know?"

"You think?" That thought comforted Archer a bit. It gave him a place to start rebuilding his friendship with Mai. She might be willing to open up to him about what she was going through.

"Yeah, you can see it in her eyes," Trip stated softly. The chief engineer had seen many other emotions in Mai's eyes. He had the sneaking suspicion she was still into Archer too, and that could cause possible problems later on down the road.

A sudden thought occurred to Archer. "Hey, did you recognize a familiar face among Mai's squad?" he asked of Trip.

The Captain had just turned the tables on the chief engineer; he hated when Archer could do that to him. Trip felt his face grow warm. "Yeah," he responded warily.

"I do believe that I saw the lovely Sergeant Ellen Bates," Archer said with a wicked smile, happy to have the conversation move away from him and Mai.

"Yeah, I saw her too," Trip said looking at the ground now. "She hasn't changed a bit either," he added.

Archer clapped a hand on Trip's shoulder. "Seeing her again sure must have been a shock. It'll be interesting to see how you two get along after all this time, huh?" The Captain was being a bit cruel, but he couldn't help it. Trip had hit a nerve; it was the chief engineer's turn to feel a little heat.

Trip shifted his weight from foot to foot. "I don't know if we'll even get a chance to see each other much," he mumbled.

"Oh, that can be arranged, my friend, that can be arranged," Archer was teasing now. It was nice to have the shoe on the other foot for a change.

"You wouldn't?" Trip asked meekly. "Our brief relationship didn't end on the best of terms, Cap'n."

"Oh really? I wasn't aware of that," Archer pretended to be ignorant.

"It might be kinda awkward, Cap'n," Trip's voice had a pleading quality to it. "If I run into her or find myself in a position to talk to her, I will, but I'm not gonna go lookin' for her. I think she thinks I'm an ass."

Archer snorted and shook his head. "I wonder were she ever got that kind of idea about you, Trip?"

"Hey! Cut it out!" Trip said with a bit of anger in his voice now. "I was tryin' to help you. Ya know, be your friend. I don't deserve this."

"I'm sorry, Trip," Archer apologized. "I couldn't resist. It seems we both have issues to deal with, huh?"

Trip blew out a lung full of air. "I guess so. I'll deal with Ellen in my own time, and you can deal with Mai in your own way, but just be careful around her, okay? That's all I'm tryin' ta say."

The Captain smiled thinly at his friend standing next to the warp five engine. "I will Trip, I will."

TBC

**Okay, you know what to do. Let me know what you think, please, please, please!! How am I doing, especially concerning Malcolm? I don't usually write his character as much as some of the others. Did I do all right?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**Rated T for language and a bit of romance.**

**A/N: This chapter deals with Mai and Malcolm really talking to each other for the first time, and let's just say our Tactical Officer isn't very tactful. It also deals with the fallout of Mai and Archer seeing each other again after such a long time. At the end comes the set up for the main plot. Please take the time to let me know what you think about my story. I really do desperately need and want feedback. Well, enjoy. :)**

**Thanks LadyRainbow for betaing. I couldn't do it without you.**

**Chapter 3**

**Shaky Ground**

As Major Mairead Donnelly made her way to the Armory and Lieutenant Malcolm Reed's office to be debriefed for her new assignment, her mind was light years away. She was thinking about Jonny; being in his arms again and feeling his wonderful touch. It had her head swimming and her heart pounding. Mairead was supposed to be controlling and repressing her emotions, especially concerning Jonny Archer. She wanted to be immune to her feelings for him; they would not serve her well being under his command. She needed to be professional and at the top of her game out here in the vastness of space; not mooning over a lost love.

But seeing Jonny again, smelling him, touching him, and hearing his masculine voice again, had almost undone her. She hadn't realized how much she had really missed him until she was face to face with him again. And the way he had greeted her, his tender hug and holding her close; that had been absolutely heavenly. Mairead felt like she had been on a strict diet for the last five years and only now was she allowed to taste something sweet and mouth watering again. Jonny had made it obvious that he still cared for her. He wasn't angry at her anymore, and he had actually been happy to see her again. He had seemed to have missed her as much as she had missed him. Most importantly, she had learned that they were still friends. All of that was comforting to Mairead, but it had also reawakened her to the fact that she was still head over heels in love with the man.

Mairead knew she needed to find a way to not only control herself and her emotions, but she had to rebury these explosive and dangerous desires very quickly and very deeply. She had almost destroyed her friendship once by trying to embrace those feelings, instead of suppressing them. The MACO major was not going to risk that precious friendship a second time. She was determined to find a way to deal with her feelings and control herself around Captain Archer. There, she was finally able to use his formal name and title; that was better.

All in all, Mairead now wanted to be here, aboard the starship _Enterprise_. Being around people like Archer, Trip, and even Nate Kemper would be like coming home. She hated to admit that her big brother, Fergus, had been right. She needed this transfer to get over or at least ease, the heartache of the loss of her husband. Being among old friends and having new challenges would be a good thing for her.

Lieutenant Reed was reviewing something on his office computer screen as Mairead poked her head in the door to his office. She observed him for a moment before she announced her arrival. He was sitting in a black, plain-looking desk chair, his blue-gray eyes moving rapidly across his screen. His lips were set in a thin line, as he was deep in concentration of whatever he was reading about. A cup of what smelled like Earl Gray tea was in one of his hands, and the other one was resting flat on his light colored, wooden desk.

"Lieutenant Reed?" Mairead queried, hoping she wouldn't startle him.

She didn't. "Ah, Major Donnelly," he greeted her in his crisp, proper British accent, but his eyes didn't leave his screen. "Please come in, and I will be with you in just a moment."

Mairead did as he directed and took a seat in another black, plain-looking chair in front of his desk. His office was a little sparse; he had a computer, desk, chairs, but no personal effects, like family photos or little trinkets to show his personality. Either Reed didn't spend much time in his office, or he had a sparse personality as well; she hoped it was the former.

Reed finally flipped his screen off and turned his attention to the MACO major, setting down his cup of tea in the process. Their eyes met, and his were still very cold and calculating. They did, however, warm up a bit as he offered her a small smile. "Welcome aboard, Major," he told her. "I have to say that it is an honor to get to work with someone with your reputation."

No matter how many times someone praised her for her hard work, Mairead felt guilty. She was only doing her job, and her personality wouldn't let her do it any less than the best she could. "I could say the same thing ta you, Lieutenant," she replied honestly to him. "I've 'eard many good things 'bout you too."

Malcolm Reed was humbled by this, that and by the fact that her accent was so charming, for someone who was Irish. "Well," he started, trying to put his thoughts in order; he was usually so organized, especially when it came to ship's business. Donnelly was still having a distracting effect on him; he needed to stop that right away. He had to act like the superior officer and leader.

Unfortunately, this lead him to overcompensate, and he came off harsher than he had intended. "Now," he continued, "I don't know how you've gone about training and commanding your men, but you will be required to adjust to the way I and my people do things aboard _Enterprise_. We run smoothly and proficiently using the protocols I've established. From what I've read about you in your file, I think you'll catch on quickly and have no problems making the transition." He was trying to sound professional and give her a compliment at the same time.

Mairead felt herself bristle at his words. It wasn't really what he said; she had kind of expected him to be territorial, but there was something about his tone that began to rub her the wrong way. She had come into his office wanting to get along and follow whatever orders Reed gave her, but his attitude was starting to cause a problem.

She was going to let him know that he couldn't get away with that with her. "Listen, Lieutenant, I'm not Matthew Hayes, and I'm not 'ere ta question how ya run yer department. But I will not allow ya ta bowl me over either. We will work together ta protect this ship, but me men are still me men. Some of the ways they've been trained and some of our protocols mighta help you and yours."

Malcolm felt his gut tighten; Donnelly had known Hayes. It seemed like she had picked up some of his almost insubordinate habits. Of course they needed to work together, respect each other; he wasn't dumb. He was just trying to establish where the line was for Donnelly and her people. They needed to integrate and become part of the crew; not be mavericks. There was no reason for the major to be so defensive. His eyes met hers again, and he saw a cold fire in them. It sent a chill down his spine; it made her even more attractive. Malcolm knew he needed to salvage the situation before it got worse. He wanted to get along with this woman.

"I realize that you are not Hayes," he finally replied, "but your men are under my authority now, as are you, and you are all expected to follow my orders. I need to feel confident that you won't have a problem doing that."

Mairead couldn't believe how arrogant Reed was. No wonder Matty had problems with him. All Mairead wanted was to have a say in how her men were handled; she didn't want to usurp any of Reed's authority. "We shouldn't have a problem, Lieutenant. I fully understand how the chain of command works and so do me men, but I won't have ya treatin' 'em like their second-class either."

_Bloody hell!_ Malcolm thought. _Now I've somehow insulted her._ What had he said that had made her so defensive? He wouldn't treat her men like they were anything less than the best. Where had she gotten that ridiculous idea? Malcolm was only trying to set some ground rules, not belittle the "Fighting Donnellys". The young woman must have some major control issues, just like Hayes had had.

"Look, somehow we're getting off on the wrong foot," he tried to turned things around.

"I'd say," Mairead muttered under her breath, interrupting him.

"Major," Malcolm began again, "I want this transfer to work. I really admire and respect you and your squad, but I need to know where your loyalties lie. Is it to your men or is it to the safety of the _Enterprise _and her crew?"

He needed to know that if in the heat of battle, if the ship were in danger, would she choose to do what was best for the ship or her men? Normally, the two were compatible, but Donnelly and her men were outsiders right now. Eventually, these new recruits wouldn't be; they would be part of the crew, and the safety of all would be the main concern, no questions asked. But at the moment, Donnelly might pick her men over the ship and crew just because she had more invested in her own squad than in anything to do with the _Enterprise_. Malcolm wasn't trying to be rotten about it, just careful.

Mairead took affront to the question, however. She felt her cheeks grow warm with a rising anger. How dare this man question her loyalty! Why couldn't her commitment be to both her men and the crew of the _Enterprise_? She wasn't going to let this British sod make her choose between them.

"If ya even have ta ask that question, Mr. Reed," she purposely left his rank out, "then ya really don't understand anything 'bout me," she huffed.

_Bugger_, Malcolm thought, _she is really getting upset. What I'm saying that is flustering her so?_ He was merely trying to find out where she stood; could she step down and let someone else take the lead? From her heated reaction, it was evident that she might not be able to. He may have to force the issue. He really wanted to do things jointly, let her have her input, but it seemed she was unwilling to let him do much of anything; this was not looking good.

"I'm sure your professional and experienced in your field; in fact I know you are, but serving aboard a starship is very unique and very unpredictable," Malcolm attempted to clarify for her. "It might be beneficial for you to follow my lead for a while, and then we'll see what you and your squad can contribute."

So that was how the Brit was going to be? He was going to cut her out of the loop, huh? No wonder Matty had gone over his head at one time. "_My_ team will follow _my_ lead, Mr. Reed," Mairead said with ice in her voice, and she spoke the statement more formally, using the more Standard English. "They'll do what I tell 'em to. We've all earned each other's respect. If I don'ta like what I see from you and your men, you'll know 'bout it."

Malcolm took that as a threat. Somehow, he had turned her into an adversary, and they had only been speaking for a few minutes. Malcolm was beside himself; this was the last thing he'd wanted. Where was Hoshi when he needed her? Communicating was her thing, not his; he only dealt well with weapons, not people. He had clearly put his foot in his mouth.

He tried to change the subject. "Let's go over duties and schedules, first," he suggested next.

From that moment on, it was a constant battle of wills between them. Mairead wasn't usually vindictive or difficult, but this pigheaded Brit had found a way to bring the worst of her out in the open. She felt Reed had been an ass, so she was going to return the favor. He just managed to push the wrong buttons with her, and she let herself react accordingly; it was very unlike her. She decided to fight and argue with Reed on everything he wanted to discuss. She disagreed with him on duty shifts, whom would be given what assignments, training times, stations, orientation meetings for her men, security protocols, and so on.

By the time they were finished, Malcolm was ready to pull his hair out. The constant resistance Major Donnelly gave him was wearing him out. She was feisty and very stubborn, and even though it thoroughly ticked him, it also fueled his attraction to her. She could put up a fight with the best of them, and didn't give up easily. Many times he saw some wisdom in her rebuttals, but he didn't want to give in either; he didn't want to appear weak. The more they argued the more Malcolm was attracted to her. In trying to overcome this new development, he continued to overcompensate and was more stern and straight-laced than he usually was. He made himself seem more overbearing than he meant to be. He was desperately trying to hide the less-than-professional feelings he was experiencing.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. "Let's finish this tomorrow. You and your men need their rest and need to get settled. We'll have plenty of time to hammer out the details later."

"Sounds good ta me," Mairead told him, being short with him. "Maybe some beauty sleep will take the ogre outta ya," she added, heatedly. She got up out of her seat and left his office; she didn't even wait to be dismissed.

Mairead couldn't take Reed and his damn pride one more minute. She knew she had been rude and acted very unprofessionally by leaving so abruptly, but the lieutenant was insufferable. He may have been Starfleet's golden security boy, but to her he was a self-absorbed, control freak. Maybe this assignment wouldn't be so pleasant after all.

Malcolm was left to stare at the spot that Major Donnelly had just vacated in shock. How had this gone so wrong? He had started out with best of intentions. Why had she gotten so pissed at him? Captain Archer had told him that Donnelly usually gave someone the benefit of the doubt before she passed any kind of judgment on them. With him, it felt like she had rushed to judgment. She didn't like him and now viewed him as an adversary.

She had known Hayes; had he biased the major against him, unknowingly? Malcolm wondered what kind of communication the two MACO commanders had had. _Bloody marvelous_, Malcolm thought, _Hayes is still giving me a hard time, even from the grave._ This misunderstanding was the last thing he wanted to have happen.

The lieutenant knew that he lacked good people skills and that he could be quite a stiff Brit, but he thought that his time among the crew of the _Enterprise_ had helped him improve his interactions with others; helped him come out of his shell a little. From how Donnelly had reacted to him, he obviously hadn't improved enough. And yet, he knew it couldn't be _all_ his fault; Donnelly had taken a lot of what he had said the wrong way and not the way he had intended. He again wished for Hoshi and her communications skills.

How could he resolve this situation with Donnelly without making it worse? His relationship with her was mirroring his relationship with Hayes too much for Malcolm's comfort. He didn't want to solve the problem the way he had with Hayes; beating the crap out of each other. Once the hostility had been dealt with mono a mono, they had then been able to have a civilized discussion. Reed wasn't about to have a physical fight with the lovely major, although testing her fighting skills could be fun. He didn't want to fight a woman over territory and stupid wounded pride; he was a gentlemen after all. If he fought with her, it would be to test himself and her, not to prove some dumb point.

Then an idea came to him, like the proverbial light bulb going on in his head. He had Sergeant Nathanial Kemper he could turn to. The young MACO knew Donnelly, a little, and might be able to give Malcolm some insight into how to deal with Donnelly, and he might be able to be a go-between with her. That thought eased the clenching in his gut and the uneasy feeling tightening his spine. He would use Kemper to get through to her and bridge the gap between them. He wanted to nip this in the bud before it led to greater problems. He didn't want to create a situation that could jeopardize the security of the _Enterprise_ and her crew.

Another idea started to worm its way into his brain; one he wasn't sure if he like or not. Maybe he should give into his attraction to Donnelly just a tiny bit. It might help him treat her with more consideration and thoughtfulness. He could treat her as would treat a woman he would want to court; not totally, but enough to be more sensitive to her and her needs.

Malcolm also realized that he was probably not helping her any in the recovery process from losing her husband by acting so paranoid and self-serving. Damn, he wished for Hoshi's help yet again; sometimes he was just so thick. He was determined now to redouble his efforts in getting along with the MACO major. In trying to overcome a silly, school boy reaction to her appearance, he had become a complete git. Well, at least he had recognized it this time and was aware of it; that was half the battle.

* * *

Mairead had showered and changed into her gray sleeping sweat pants and tank top. She crawled into bed feeling utterly ridiculous for acting like a little child with Lieutenant Reed. She really had been unfair and rushed to judgment on him. He was just trying to do his job and she hadn't made it easy for him. She decided she would apologize and make it up to him tomorrow; tonight she was bone-weary tired. She had unpacked all her belongings, showered, and was now ready to completely pass out. As she lay down on her bunk, her eyes focused on the specks of light flying passed her view port. It was mesmerizing to watch, and she was soon lulled to sleep by observing them.

It was then that she dreamed. She usually dreamed the same dream every night since Tommy's death. It haunted her nights, but it was also a sort of sweet source of comfort for her. It always began and ended the same way. She would be lying in bed in her and Tommy's apartment they kept in San Francisco. The window would be open, allowing the moist, salty ocean smell of the Pacific to waft into the bedroom. The breeze was soothing and feather soft. Mairead would be wearing a long, dark green, low cut, silky nightgown. She was wrapped in sheets made of a smooth, black, silky material that Tommy loved and just had to have. The young Irish woman would be feeling so lonely and so lost, ready to burst into tears. That was when a strong, masculine arm would wrap possessively, but comfortingly around her waist, and she would feel the warmth of a heavy body pull her close to it. She would then snuggle into the person and the desperate loneliness would disappear. Jolts of electricity would shoot through her as lips nuzzled her neck. She would sigh in contentment and slowly turn and face her savior from the bitterness of being alone. Tommy's handsome form would greet her, like a statue chiseled out of a rough and dark stone, but he would always be so warm and inviting. Deep down she knew she didn't love him, not like she knew she should, but he had always been a silent strength to her; something that kept the loneliness she feared so much at bay.

Tonight was no different for her; she dreamed the same dream. Something felt off to her this time, however. The body and its arm wrapping around her didn't feel like Tommy's. A cool fear raced to the pit of her stomach. As she tried to figure out what was happening, she realized the body and arm gathering her to them was strangely familiar, but it definitely was not her late husband's. Finally, she willed herself to turn and look at who it was.

As the light in her dream seemed to shift, she saw exactly who it was; Jonny. This caught her completely off guard and she froze in pure panic. Her breath stuck in her throat and her heart hammered in her chest like the beating of a humming bird's wings. This wasn't how the dream was supposed to go. Instead of looking into Tommy's deep blue eyes, she was staring into Jonny's intensely hazel-green ones.

If the next part of Mairead's dream followed it predecessors, she was in trouble. Normally, Mairead would have kissed Tommy passionately and let nature take its course, but she wasn't in Tommy's embrace, she was in Jonny's. He was regarding her more wantonly than she had ever seen him regard anyone. It sent shivers down her spine and the tingling sensation she had felt earlier that day was back ten fold.

She had to wake up; she couldn't let herself indulge in this fabulously wonderful fantasy, not with Jonny, not now. Without warning, Mairead found herself drawn right up against Jonny and his lips were upon hers. Neither one of them had spoken a word to each other. Instinct and desire took over Mairead's usually logical and rational mind. She gave into Jonny's kiss, flashing back to that night in Monroe's cabin.

Her arms wrapped around his bare back as the kiss deepened and became very heated. Jonny was strong and aggressive, and yet soft and oh so gentle at the same time. His arms tightened around her body and pulled them completely together, legs intertwining. The kiss continued, strengthening and building. Just when Mairead thought she couldn't take much more, Jonny broke the kiss to trail it down her chin and throat. "Oh, Mai," he whispered huskily, and then claimed her mouth with his once more. _This isn't happening_, Mairead's reasonable mind tried to claim, but it was, and it was magical.

* * *

Jonathan Archer started awake, the dream still clinging to him like a fine mist or a spindle of cob webs. His comm beeped again, demanding his attention. His breath was ragged and his heart was trying to jump out of his chest. He swore he could still smell and taste Mairead sweetness on his lips like fresh peaches. What the hell had just happened? His body was completely on edge, aroused even. He vaguely remembered being in bed with Mai, but now he was alone in his quarters aboard _Enterprise_ with Porthos looking questioningly at him. He must have thrashed around a bit, for his sheets were a tangled mess, and he was covered in a light sheen of sweat.

"T'Pol to Captain Archer, please respond sir," the calm Vulcan's voice came over his comm system for a fourth time.

Archer hadn't had a dream like that about Mai for a long time; not even after the late night talk with Trip about the incident at Monroe's cabin. This dream had been different than his other dreams about her, however. It had felt so real, so tangible. His heart and body literally ached for her. This was really bad; he was in trouble. Trip would really lecture him now. He wanted Mai more than ever. Seeing her again, touching her again, had destroyed all of his defenses that he had so carefully and painstakingly built up to protect his heart and his memories of her. It had only taken one hug from his beloved Mai to completely demolish all those walls. Trip was right, Archer couldn't just be friends this time around; he wanted much, much more.

"Captain Archer," T'Pol's voice came once again through the comm panel by his door. "Are you able to respond?"

Archer finally shook the last of the dream's tentacles from his mind and tried to will his body to calm down. He took a deep breath and stood, making himself walk over to the comm panel.

"Archer here," he croaked out, voice still hoarse from sleep. "Sorry it took me a minute to wake up and focus," he added as an explanation for his slowness to respond to T'Pol's hail.

"I apologize for disturbing your rest, Captain," T'Pol smooth feminine voice told him, "but while Ensign Bradshaw was on duty she picked up what she believed to be a distress call. She though it would be prudent to report it to me. I have analyzed and authenticated that it is indeed a distress call."

"Where's it coming from?" Archer asked his Science Officer, totally awake now.

"Approximately two point five six light years at mark eleven point two four five," T'Pol answered him precisely.

"Who's sending it?" he asked next.

"Unknown at this time," T'Pol informed him. "Long range sensors will have more data in a few more minutes and then I can extrapolate a logical answer to that question."

"I'll be up to the Bridge shortly," the Captain told T'Pol.

"I should have more information for you by then, Captain," she responded with certainty in her voice.

Archer couldn't help but smile at her down-to-business attitude. "Sounds good," he replied. "See you in a few." With that he signed off.

This was just what the captain of an exploration mission needed to get himself back on track; it was the perfect distraction. He could focus on seeking out new life and new civilizations and put his desire for Mai on the back burner. He was looking forward to possibility meeting and helping out a new species. He just hoped they wouldn't be a hostile species; he was tired of those. Archer would rather have another ally than another enemy any day, so he would reach out to these people, and only time would tell whether he had made a smart decision or not.

TBC

**You know what to do. Please let me know what you think. Reviews really do make my day. Thanks!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**A/N: Okay, this chapter finally introduces the new culture and species that the **_**Enterprise**_** crew runs into and will have to deal with. Also, I decided to shamelessly use the character of the MACO, Sergeant Kemper, to help Mai and Malcolm out of their sticky situation. According to the Memory Alpha website, in some places he was given the name Nathanial or Nate as a first name, so I kept it. Also, Archer and Mai are still adjusting to seeing each other again. You pronounce the alien captain's name (muh KAY uhn), just an FYI.**

**Please read and review!! It isn't that hard or time consuming to leave a little note.**

**Thanks once again to my beta, LadyRainbow. Despite her hectic life, she always comes through for me. Happy reading!!**

**Chapter 4**

**Good Samaritans **

Fifteen minutes after Captain Archer had signed off with T'Pol, he was showered, dressed, and standing on the bridge waiting to hear his Science Officer's report. He, Lieutenant Reed, Major Donnelly, and Ensign Sato had all been roused from sleep and stood in the Situation Room at the back of the bridge. Ensign Mayweather had also been roused from bed to take over at the helm. Trip was down in Engineering, but he too was awake. Dr. Phlox would be called on when they needed him.

T'Pol was ready to start briefing the group about the distress call and who it belonged to. Archer was having a difficult time focusing on the matter at hand. He kept finding himself staring at Mai, and thinking about the erotic dream he had had. Mai looked lovely, even in her gray camouflaged MACO uniform. Her long, blond hair was up in a tight bun, which allowed him to get a full view of her beautiful face. She looked a little flushed, and he wondered if he was seeing things. Archer was so glad that Trip wasn't hear right now; he'd never let the Captain live this down. He hoped no one else became aware of his preoccupation.

"I have thoroughly searched the Vulcan database to locate information to identify the species belonging to our recent distress call," T'Pol informed her audience.

"And what have you discovered?" Archer managed to ask, as he was trying not to stare at Mai. He noticed that the young MACO was fidgeting, which was unusual for her; Mai didn't fidget. She also appeared to be keeping a good amount of distance between herself and Malcolm. Archer wondered briefly if something disagreeable had happened during their meeting earlier that evening. Malcolm, the Captain knew, could be rather difficult at times.

"The signal Ensign Bradshaw first picked up a 02:15, matched a species the Vulcan database classifies as Arterminian," T'Pol announced, bringing Archer's attention back to her and the current topic.

"The who?" Malcolm asked.

"The Arterminians," T'Pol spoke the word more slowly and with more enunciation. "Unfortunately, the entry in the Vulcan database is not very extensive. The Arterminians either did not care much for cultural exchange with Vulcans, or the Vulcan High Command did not deem them of considerable interest."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Archer automatically responded before realizing how judgmental he sounded. He still couldn't help feeling a little annoyance at the "old" Vulcan way of doing things. Circumstances in the Vulcan hierarchy had changed considerably of late, but Archer continued to hold onto a grudge against Vulcan protocol.

Archer caught Mai's quick smile at his slip. She, more than anyone, had heard him rant against Vulcan bureaucracy more often than not. T'Pol, however, did not seem bothered by his remark; she merely continued on with her briefing. Malcolm also noticed Major Donnelly's smile and felt himself frown at it. He felt that he was being left out of something when he watched Captain Archer smile back at her.

"Here is the information I was able to glean from the database," T'Pol said as she pulled up a neat, complied list on the large and table-like console the group was standing around. Then she went on, "According to Vulcan records, they are a humanoid warrior race, similar to the Klingons, but there are marked differences between the two species. Whereas the Klingons place an emphasis on prowess in battle, the Arterminians place an emphasis on tracking and hunting. They are a warp capable and space-faring species. They are also a matriarchal society."

On one of the screens the group surrounded, a few pictures also scrolled by. The Arterminians were bipedal and almost human-like in appearance, except for the color of their skin. From the pictures that Archer saw, it seemed to him that they had every color of pink covered, from light mauve to deep burgundy and everything in between. Archer silently chuckled to himself. _And Shran thinks we're pink skins_, he though wryly. The Arterminians also had very golden eyes, almost hypnotically so. Their lips were golden too, along with their finger nails. They had two ridges in between their eyes, but not down their noses, and they had two ridges in their cheeks. They hair seemed to come in all different kinds of hues. The Captain thought they were an exquisite race.

"So that means that the women are in charge?" Malcolm commented, clearly amused by the idea.

T'Pol gave him a slightly reproving look. "I believe that is what matriarchal means, Lieutenant," she said as if speaking to a small child.

Archer thought he saw Mai smirk at T'Pol's remark to Malcolm; that wasn't like her either. Something disagreeable _must _have happened last night. He would have to have a talk with Mai or Malcolm about the situation soon.

Hoshi watched Malcolm wince at T'Pol's response to his comment. She knew exactly how he felt. T'Pol didn't try to be condescending; she was just Vulcan. The young ensign tried to give Malcolm a reassuring look. Hoshi had also been watching the new MACO. She had a confident bearing, but she seemed uneasy at the same time. Hoshi caught a couple of short smiles from the woman, and they were mainly directed at Captain Archer. The communications officer had heard the rumor that they had been good friends before the whole _Enterprise_ mission thing; apparently, they still were.

T'Pol resumed her explanation once again. "Their planet is rich in minerals such as, deuterium and dilithium crystals – both are key components for warp drive propulsion. The Arterminians trade liberally with any species that has something of value or importance to them. They are also renowned for their hunting and tracking skills. Many species find the Arterminians very proficient at tracking down fugitives and hire them to bring those fugitives back to face justice."

"So they make good bounty hunters?" Hoshi commented, trying to help Malcolm not feel so bad.

T'Pol did not disappoint her. "I believe that is what I just said, Ensign," T'Pol now turned her teacher-like attitude on Hoshi.

Malcolm tipped his head slightly at Hoshi in a small show of gratitude for her effort in helping him not feel like such a git. It didn't help that T'Pol was acting so Vulcan in front of Major Donnelly; it was down right embarrassing for Malcolm, especially after his disastrous meeting with the new MACO commander yesterday.

"Do you wish to answer this distress call and initiate first contact with this species?" T'Pol now asked of Captain Archer.

Archer responded swiftly with, "Does a bear have hair?" which got him a smile from both Mai and Hoshi, his boyish enthusiasm coming through loud and clear.

T'Pol merely raised one of her eloquently pointed eyebrows at his all too human colloquialism. It took a minute for her to put it into context, and when she did, she shook her head at the Captain slightly. She still couldn't understand why humans liked to express themselves so colorfully, when a simple 'yes' would do.

"Should I understand that statement to be an affirmative, Captain?" the Vulcan woman then queried him.

"Yep," Archer replied with a little grin, and he bounced a bit on the balls of his feet.

Malcolm decided he needed to address the security issue this decision of the Captain's had raised. "What tactical information do you have on this species, Commander?" he questioned T'Pol. "If we are going to drop in on one of their ships, I would feel much more comfortable knowing what their weapon and defensive systems are capable of."

"And what about their language?" Hoshi chimed in. "I'll need to look it over and get a taste for it before we can actually talk to them."

T'Pol wasn't fazed at all by her shipmates' demands. She had prepared PADDs for them with all the information they needed. She handed them each their respective PADD, and then told Archer, "I have already transferred the coordinates of the distress call to Ensign Mayweather's helm station. He is ready on your command to engage the ship's engines."

Archer thumbed a comm panel on the Situation Room console. "Archer to Engineering," he said happily. He had to hand it to his Vulcan science officer; she was very efficient and knew him all too well.

"Tucker here," came Trip's Southern accent from the comm panel speaker

"Are we ready to go down there?" Archer asked voice full of excitement; he couldn't wait to get going. They had been traveling at impulse while Vulcans had been aboard. They had returned to their ship a few hours ago and continued on their way, and _Enterprise _had gone to warp for a short time, but then Trip decided to give the warp engine a little down time.

"Yes, sir," Trip reported. "Our little beauty is ready to go to warp on your command.

Archer turned his body to face the front of the bridge. "Let's get going, Ensign," he called to Mayweather, "best possible speed."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Mayweather replied and complied quickly with his orders. The ship hummed to life and after some slight tremors, it was flying through space at warp speed once again.

Mai was beside herself with trepidation and excitement. She had only been on board for half a day and already they were going to meet a new species. Watching Jonny in his element had been a treat; he was so passionate about his mission. She was still trying to recover her sensibilities from the dream she had been awoken from. She couldn't look too long at Jonny or she would feel herself blush; it was extremely embarrassing. She tried concentrating on the meeting in front of her, but it wasn't easy. It helped to see Reed needled by the Vulcan somewhat. At least there was someone on this ship that could put him in his place.

_Now that tis unfair, lass,_ she chided herself in her thoughts. _You need ta give Reed another chance and apologize for yer own bad behavior. _She really did need to try again with the lieutenant. Last night had been just a big misunderstanding. Ensign Sato seemed to have deemed him worthy of the kindness of bailing him out of the Vulcan's reproval. He obviously had some friends, so he couldn't be all that bad, right?

"Major Donnelly, I would like you and Lieutenant Reed to work together on familiarizing yourselves with the information Commander T'Pol provided Reed with. This will be good experience for you in how things work on a starship and how we should handle a first contact situation," Jonny said right to her, catching her off guard.

She stared at him for a moment, and then nodded, before finding her voice. "Aye, sir," she managed to respond. It was so surreal to be here with him, to hear his voice. It washed over her and through her. It was so nice to hear it again; she'd missed it.

Lieutenant Reed looked at her expectantly, so she said, "I'll follow yer lead, Lieutenant. This is yer area of expertise."

Malcolm blinked at her in respond. Her tone was respectful and cordial even. Was it because everyone was watching her, or was she really trying to make a effort to be professional with him? It was a relieving change from last night, at any rate. Finally, he said, "Let's have Nate Kemper join us as well. I think he might be able to help you relate better to my style of security." That way maybe Donnelly's attitude would stay on the positive side.

Mairead liked that idea; Kemper might be a good buffer for them both. "That sounds like a good idea, sir," she replied. Malcolm let out a breath he had been holding. _So good, so far, _he thought.

* * *

Sergeant Nathanial Kemper was having the time of his life. Here he was not only on board the starship _Enterprise_ working with Malcolm Reed, but now he was getting to work closely with Major Mairead Donnelly. She was exactly the way he remembered her; strong, beautiful, no-nonsense, and brilliant. Hayes had always spoken highly of her too. He had warned Kemper about her blinding fast side blade kicks; Kemper still remembered her foot slamming home into his ribcage before he could even register that she had moved. He seriously hoped that had not been the reason she had turned him down from joining her squad. She hadn't caught him that off guard again, but maybe once had been enough for her to fail him.

Major Donnelly and he were going over weapon specs from the information T'Pol had provided Lieutenant Reed. Malcolm had assigned them to study the Arterminians weapon systems; everything from their personal side arms up to their ships' shielding and armaments. They were to compare them to what _Enterprise _had and mark any areas that could cause problems for the ship and its personnel's ability to defend themselves against the Arterminians, if they became a threat. They were also looking for any similarities and or weaknesses that they could exploit, if they needed to.

Kemper couldn't believe how easy going and efficient Donnelly was. When she was testing him, she had been every bit the drill sergeant stereotype and a hard ass like Hayes, but not right now. She was professional, but had a very jovial attitude; it tended to rub off on those around her. She was actually making the humdrum task _fun._ Kemper also couldn't see why Lieutenant Reed hadn't been able to get along with her. Donnelly was great to work with. It had really surprised him because Reed told him that she was a bit of a bear, and that Reed himself had not had a very productive meeting with her. Reed didn't want to have the same problems he'd had with Hayes, so he'd asked Kemper to see if he could help him out. It had flattered the young MACO sergeant; he felt honored that he could be helpful to Reed. He remembered their brief conversation just minutes before T'Pol's briefing.

_"Kemper, do you have a moment?" Reed had asked as they met in the hallway heading to the turbo lift going to the bridge._

_"Sure, sir," he'd answered. "What can I do for ya?"_

_The Starfleet lieutenant had hesitated as he tried to find the right words. "I'm in a bit of a spot," he had told Kemper in his so British way. He then cleared his throat and continued, "Major Donnelly and I didn't quite get off on the right foot last night. I can see another Hayes incident looming; she very controlling. I don't want that to happen again. I have grown to trust the MACOs and respect you, but I'll be damned if I can get along with any of you."_

_"That's not true, Lieutenant," Kemper had tried to reassure him. "You get along with McKenzie, Chang, and me just fine. We did have a rocky start, but time and experience has changed all that."_

_Reed had bowed his head at Kemper's comments. "I'm glad you feel that way. I'm trying to understand your perspective better, but it isn't always easy. It appears I still know how to put my foot in my mouth, however. I think Major Donnelly thinks I'm an arrogant ass. I think I overdid it a bit last night when we met to discuss security protocols."_

_"Meaning that you let your power and authority go to your head?"Kemper had remarked lightly, slightly teasing his superior._

_"Something like that yes," Reed admitted trying not to smile. _

_"So you need little old me to bail you out?" Kemper again had teased Reed._

_"Would you please, Sergeant?" Reed had seemed so relieved that Kemper had almost laughed. "She is a remarkable soldier, but a little…a little…," he tried to say, but Kemper had interrupted him._

_"A little bit Irish," Kemper couldn't have helped but say, finishing Reed's thought for him. "If I can smooth things over for you, then you'd owe me right?" Kemper had then asked._

_Reed stared at him for a minute. "What are you getting at, Sergeant?" he questioned suspiciously._

_"If I can get the Major to play nice with you and the rest of your security team, then I want some Armory time. Just me, a training program, and a phase rifle - for target practice."_

_Reed seemed to let out a breath he'd been holding. "Done, Kemper. You can have all the private practice time you want if you can pull it off, mate."_

_"You've got yourself a deal, Lieutenant," Kemper had agreed as the two shook hands to seal the arrangement._

And now Kemper was finding his job to be a piece of cake. Donnelly knew exactly what to look for and how to narrow things down, but she let him point out things he had learned from his real life experience out here in the middle of space. She even seemed grateful for his suggestions. They made quick work of their assignment. While they were doing that, Reed was running around, doubling security details around the vital and key parts of the ship, just incase. He wanted to make sure his vessel was secure and protected. He was also making sure all weapon systems were online and functioning at optimum levels. He checked communication systems throughout the ship with Ensign Sato, and he went through emergency protocols as well.

Just as Donnelly and Kemper had finished and were ready to report to their Security Chief, Hoshi's voice broke into the hustle and bustle on the bridge. "Sir, I'm getting an audio transmission of the distress call. Do you want me to put it up?"

"Let's hear it, Ensign," Captain Archer turned in his chair to face her station at the front of the bridge and to the Captain's left.

A burst of static poured from the loud speakers to be replaced by a panicked male voice. It spoke in perfect English thanks to Hoshi keen ear and language abilities. "_This is the transport vessel,_ Leon_. We are broadcasting to anyone who can hear us. We need help. Our ship is damaged and we are losing life support. Please respond."_

"That's it, Captain," Hoshi informed him. "It keeps repeating itself."

"Do we have a location yet?" the Captain then turned to Malcolm at his tactical station to his right.

"They're approximately five hundred million kilometers off our starboard bow," came Malcolm's swift reply. "If we adjust our heading by point four degrees we'll intercept them in ten minutes, sir."

"You heard him, Travis," the Captain now spoke to his helm's officer.

"Aye, aye, Captain," Mayweather responded and followed the order.

The Captain turned back to Hoshi. "Can you hail them?" he asked her.

"I've been trying to, but there's a lot of subspace interference," Hoshi explained as she listened with her ear piece. "We can hear them, but they can't seem to hear us."

"Keep trying," Archer told her. "I'd like to tell them help's on its way, and let them know that we're not here to hurt them."

Hoshi listened to her ear piece some more before saying, "I'll keep trying, sir."

Mairead and Kemper had taken up positions on either side of Malcolm's tactical station, helping him keep track of all the sensory input and monitoring systems. Kemper proceeded to record the highlights of he and Major Donnelly's work to Reed's station console, so he'd have the information he needed about the Arterminians weapon systems. Mairead stole a quick glance at Jonny in his captain's chair; he looked so at home there. He was a very commanding sight. Everyone aboard this ship knew exactly what they needed to do and were doing it very proficiently. Even Reed was in his own little zone of concentration on the job at hand.

She followed Kemper's directives and let him tell her what to do. This was new territory for her; she was very glad Kemper was there. He and Reed seemed to relate well, and he was such a great kid that she found herself just following his lead. His skill and tactical eye were very astute.

"I've gotten through to them, Captain, but no visual," Hoshi said suddenly. "You can, however, go ahead and talk to them; they'll hear you, sir."

Archer stood, straightened his uniform, and then spoke. "This is Captain Jonathan Archer of the starship _Enterprise_ from a planet called Earth. Can we be of assistance?"

Another burst of static greeted his introduction, and then the panicked male voice was back. _"This is Captain Machaon of the transport vessel, _Leon. _Please, help us, Captain Archer. Our people are dying over here."_

Archer looked to T'Pol for confirmation. Was it really that bad? T'Pol bent over her science station, looking into a viewfinder. "I'm reading six life signs, all faint. Their life support is down to twenty percent."

"Captain, from my initial scans, it looks like they've come under heavy weapons fire," Reed took over for T'Pol. "Their warp engine has lost all power. There is very little energy being generated over there, sir. They won't survive much longer. They don't seem to pose an immediate threat, for all of their weapon systems are offline."

"Although, I'd be worried 'bout what did kinda vessel did that to 'em," Mairead then commented. Reed nodded his agreement with her.

"Keep an eye out of any other ships in the area," Archer said to Reed and his people. They all acknowledged his order.

"We're right on top of them, sir," Ensign Mayweather informed his captain.

"Drop to one quarter impulse and let's do a fly by," the Captain ordered.

As Mayweather complied, Archer had Hoshi open the channel to the Arterminian ship once again. "We're dropping out of warp to rendezvous with your ship now. We can transport you to our ship and get you medical attention. How many of you are injured?"

Static assaulted their ears before Captain Machaon's voice answered. _"Thank you, thank you, Captain Archer. There are only six of us and we are all injured. Please hurry; we don't have much time left."_

"Malcolm, take your team with a MACO detachment and a medical team, and get over there," Archer ordered. "Take any and all precautions you think you need to, but get those people out of there."

"Aye, sir," Reed never questioned his captain, nor did he hesitate. "We should be able to dock directly with their ship. It is badly damaged, but their docking port is still intact." He then turned to the two MACOs with him. "Kemper, Donnelly, with me. Contact Barris and Rameriz from Security and have them met us down at the airlock. Hoshi, tell Phlox and his people to meet us down there in five."

Mairead had only moments to catch a glimpse of the alien vessel as T'Pol was able to bring up its image on the front viewing screen. It was a small craft, compared to the _Enterprise_. Its design struck Mairead as more a cargo type vessel, than a passenger transport. It had what looked like a large main bridge area, but then as her eyes ran down the length of the craft, it became wide and deep, but had no viewing ports. It was a gray steel color, with black and white markings adorning it. Then Mairead was in the turbo lift with Reed and Kemper, so she lost her view of the ship and its strange shape.

She quietly requested of Kemper if he would ask Reed if they could include a few more MACOs in on the mini rescue mission. She partially wanted some more of her men to be able to gain the first contact experience that this kind of situation presented, and she just would feel more comfortable with people she completely trusted by her side. Kemper tactfully made this suggestion to Reed, who immediately agreed and ordered Mairead to call down four more of her men to meet them at the airlock. She ordered Bates, Morgan, Rodriguez, and Mitzumuro to join them.

Kemper was functioning excellently as a bridge between Malcolm and Mairead. He was helping them communicate clearly and without misunderstandings. The more and more Mairead was around the young MACO sergeant, the more she wanted to curse Matty for not letting her have him on her team.

It took a few minutes for them to change into some environmental suits. The alien vessel's life-support had completely failed now, T'Pol had informed them. If life-support was not working, they'd need the suits to breath and protect them to the dropping temperatures. After that the impromptu rescue went smoothly. Mairead, her men, and Kemper went in first, clearing and securing the area, and then Reed and his people followed up.

The ship had taken some serious weapons fire. Walls were charred with smoke and buckled in many places. Sparks from blown up consoles and overhead conduits rained down in some places. The place was a big disaster area. It was a slow, but steady progress they made through the alien ship.

Once the alien crew was located and deemed safe, Phlox and his team were rushed aboard with oxygen and stretchers for the wounded. All but one alien was unconscious, and he was barely that. Mairead was struck by how many shades of pink these alien really were, and she noticed that they were all male. They were awfully pale now, however, many of them bleeding a nice shade of purple from various cuts and lacerations. It looked like to Mairead that a few of them had broken bones as well; pieces of the ceiling or walls had come down on them. There were six Arterminians as their captain had told them, all dressed in plain brown tunics and pants. Phlox and his medics got each individual assessed and moved out to Sickbay with practiced efficiency. Reed and Mairead rotated their men to follow each alien to Sickbay and keep an eye on them; they were still strangers after all.

Phlox was swift in his treatment of the aliens and soon many of them were revived with oxygen treatments and fluids to help with dehydration. Their captain perked up considerably, and after Phlox had helped him get his shoulder back in its socket, he demanded to talk to Captain Archer. He claimed he had important and urgent information to share with Archer.

While they waited for the Captain, Malcolm quietly observed their guests. Most of them were still unconscious or at least really drowsy, but the two who were awake, seemed a shade agitated. Malcolm had asked Major Donnelly, Kemper, and Sergeant Bates to stay with him as Phlox worked on the aliens' injuries. Some of the others were stationed outside in the hallway and a few had been sent back to their posts. Reed noticed that around himself, Kemper, and Phlox the aliens appeared more relaxed. The minute, Liz Cutler or Major Donnelly came near them they became skittish and ill at ease. It was all rather curious to Malcolm; the women apparently scared them. Albeit, Major Donnelly and Sergeant Bates were pretty intimidating with their soldier gear, weapons, and attitude, but Liz Cutler was one of the sweetest people Malcolm knew, besides Hoshi, and really couldn't scare a fly.

The doors into Sickbay swooshed open and Captain Archer appeared through them. The dark haired Arterminian captain practically threw himself off the biobed Phlox had laid him on. "Captain, we must leave this region of space immediately! Go to warp now!" he shouted and clutched at the front of Archer's uniform. Malcolm moved to intercede, but Archer held up his hand to stop him.

The Captain grabbed the little pink man's shoulders and pulled him effortlessly away. "Calm down, Captain Machaon. What's wrong? Why do we need to take off in such a hurry? Don't you want us to help you repair your ship?"

"No, no! Get rid off it; undock from it and just leave it!" Machaon all but screamed. "We must get out of here and now!" His golden eyes were literally flashing with his distress.

"Okay," Archer said trying to figure this one out. "I'll ask you again. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"

The other alien that was awake now joined his captain in his pleading. "Please go to warp, Captain Archer! If you don't they will locate us and capture us!" He was a full shade of pink lighter than his captain.

Mairead couldn't resist asking the question everyone else was thinking. "Who tis after you? What are ya so afraid of?"

The two Arterminian men literally jumped at her voice, though it was not loud nor raised in any way. Machaon visibly gulped as he looked at her with huge doe eyes. Then he turned back to Archer and grabbed him more fiercely. "Our masters," he said as if that explained everything. "If they catch us they will do terrible things to us. Run away slaves are punished severely for their crime."

"You're runaways?" Archer asked dumbfounded.

"Yes, yes," Machaon answered, nodding his head manically. "We planned our escape for months and had everything in order, but somehow they found us and tried to force us to go back. We did a warp jump to get away, but they hit us right as we did it, and it all but destroyed our ship. Please, Captain Archer, sir, they will be here any moment! You must get out of here now!"

"Malcolm, let T'Pol and Travis know that we might be about to get company and get to your tactical station on the bridge," Archer ordered.

"I'm not going to leave you down here by yourself, sir," Malcolm protested.

"Major Donnelly can handle things down here," Archer said impatiently. "I need you up on the bridge, Lieutenant."

Malcolm appeared to want to protest some more, when a sharp look from the Captain, sent him packing with an, "Aye, sir."

Just as Malcolm left Sickbay, T'Pol commed in looking for Archer. "Yes, Commander, what is it?" he asked, although he had a sinking feeling he knew what she was going to say.

"Sir, a large Arterminian battle cruiser just dropped out of wrap, Captain," she informed him, confirming his fears.

"Any attempt to contact us yet?" he then asked.

"No, sir, and they are not answering our hails, either," Hoshi's voice popped in.

"We're on our way to the bridge," Archer said, "Keep informed if they say anything." Then he turned to Machaon, "You'd better come too. We may need you to talk to them."

Machaon froze in horror at Archer's suggestion. "Oh, no, no, no, no," he stuttered.

"Oh, yes you are," Archer said firmly. "Major, please escort our guest to the bridge with me," he then ordered Mairead.

"Aye, sir," she complied, and moved toward Machaon. He screamed like a banshee when she approached him and tried to hide behind Captain Archer.

"What the--?" Archer reacted in confusion.

He didn't get to finish because Mairead had come around and grabbed the pink alien, twisting his arm behind his back, holding him firmly immobile. "The Cap'n asked ya ta go ta the bridge, me friend. I don't want to force ya, but as ya can see, I can if I want ta," Mairead threatened. Her quick movement had even surprised Archer.

"All right, all right, I'll go!" Machaon wailed and almost sobbed. "Just please don't hurt me, milady."

The term of respect shocked both Archer and Mairead. She instantly let go of him, thinking maybe she had overstepped her bounds. "I'm sorry, Cap'n Machaon. I didn'ta mean ta hurt ya; I just didn't want ya to hurt Cap'n Archer."

Machaon looked at her like she had grown another head. "You'd apologize to one like me," he blurted out.

"It was not my intention to cause ya harm," Mairead tried to explain. "And yes, I'm sorry ta jump at ya like that, lad. It was an automatic reflex I'm trained ta do ta protect my cap'n."

The Arterminian looked at her with a little awe. "I would be honored to accompany you and your Captain to the bridge, milady. It is rare for one of your kind to show compassion, so I will do as you ask." His sudden change in attitude was bewildering.

Archer and Mairead exchanged dumbstruck looks. What did he mean by _your kind_? "We'd better hurry. I don't want your people to open fire on us without a chance to try and talk to them," the Captain stated.

"Will you let us stay with you, Captain Archer?" Machaon now pleaded. "Please don't send us back to them. Protect us."

His plea was so earnest and so full of hope that Archer didn't know what to do. This was not how he had pictured the first contact with this species. He was now harboring run away slaves from another culture, and it would probably only go downhill from there.

TBC

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	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**A/N: This chapter finally gets to the heart of the summary I posted for the story. The Arterminians are going to give our captain and crew a run for their money. I tried to put some teeth in this chapter, make it flow right. I hope it works. You'll have to let me know. Thanks to all of you who do review. Each and everyone of one of you deserve some major brownie points. :) Happy reading and keep the encouragement coming!!**

**Thanks LadyRainbow for your time and talent!!**

**Chapter 5**

**Stolen Goods**

Everyone on the bridge felt the tension; the first contact with the Arterminians was not starting out like Captain Archer had hoped, and now he had to face down one of their warships without causing an interstellar incident. Why did this always seem to happen? Why couldn't they for once meet a species that wanted to play nice?

Archer silently watched Mairead as she stood at the ready to the right of his captain's chair. Behind her were Corporal McKenzie and Corporal Chang. He had asked them to all be here on the bridge when he had to greet the Arterminians. Archer wanted to put forth a little show of military-type force, just to show the aliens that humans weren't pushovers, and to try and negotiate with them from a stronger looking position.

Mairead had that determined look she got when she was fully concentrating on the job at hand. He suddenly felt glad he had someone like her at his back. Not that he didn't trust Reed, his people, and the other MACOs to fully do their job; it was just nice to have an old friend at his side at a time like this. He couldn't help but wonder what she thought of all of this. She had been here less than a full day and already was in the thick of things. If she was still true to form, he was sure her adrenaline would be pumping and she would be loving every minute of it. On most levels he was too, but he also had the weight of worrying about his crew's very lives and how he was going to talk his way out of this situation, if he could.

The Arterminian battle cruiser took up almost the entire viewing screen at the magnification that T'Pol had set it. It was composed of a silvery black metal with very sharp and dramatic lines and angles. Malcolm's tactical scans showed that it was loaded with an impressive amount of firepower. Four disruptor cannons, both across the bow and the aft sections of the ship, and both the starboard and port sides of the ship had photonic torpedo launchers; five on each side. They also had powerful shields that _Enterprise's_ phase cannons and its own photonic torpedoes would have a hard time penetrating, which they could, given enough time. _Enterprise's_ polarized hull-plating would give out before the aliens' shields would, however, and that was a tactical disadvantage.

From Mairead and Kemper's compiling of information from the Vulcan database, Malcolm had sets of schematics for several different types of Arterminian ships, but their shielding prevented any really detailed scans. This concerned Malcolm because the schematics he had were fairly dated, and the Arterminians could have made changes and modifications to things; another tactical disadvantage.

Captain Machaon was standing off to the side, close to T'Pol's science station, trying to stay out of the way. Archer noticed he wasn't as skittish around T'Pol as he had been around Mai and wondered why that was. Maybe his people had had a more positive experience with Vulcans than some of the other species out there. It was then that Archer remembered that T'Pol had mentioned that the Arterminians were a matriarchical society. The women must really be something to have Machaon react so strongly to females in general.

"They're responding to our hail, Captain," Hoshi calmly informed him. "The UT is fully online."

"Put it up on the screen, please, Ensign," Archer told her in response.

Hoshi quickly did as ordered, and a startling beautiful, mauve colored woman appeared before them. Her hair was a dark, rich brown and fell down to her waist, but the front parts of her hair were tightly braided. She was fairly tall with nicely shaped legs, and her golden eyes seemed to sparkle with an eerie, inner flame. She wore a light brown leather skirt that was short and slit slightly up the sides. It was combined with a light brown leather tank top. A darker brown leather wrapped around her arms in strips, criss-crossing into gauntlets. Knee-high, brown leather boots completed her attire. Malcolm noted the two daggers she wore at her waist.

"I am Lydia, First Commander of the Arterminian Security Force and Captain of the _Celesta_. I believe you are in possession of some of our property. We would respectfully ask that it be returned to us as soon as possible," the woman said, and her voice had a purr to it that Archer found down right charming. He noticed Machaon squirm next to T'Pol as the woman spoke and called him and his crew "property."

It took Archer a moment to remember to breathe again; she was an extremely stunning sight. "I'm Captain Jonathan Archer of the starship _Enterprise. _We're from a planet called Earth," he began his standard greeting, but that was all the further the woman allowed him to get, for she rudely interrupted him.

"I was not speaking to_ you_," she said a bit nastily. "I speak to the blonde female on your right. I will only deal with her. She is your superior, no?"

Mairead blinked in response as the alien woman looked directly at her. She wanted to talk to Mairead as a representative and she thought she was Jonny's superior? The major tried not to laugh, but when she glanced over at Jonny, it died in her throat. He did not look pleased; not at all.

This sudden demand was so unexpected that Archer was speechless for a few seconds, and then he collected himself enough to ask, "You're talking about Major Donnelly?" Mairead was the blonde female to his right; McKenzie was behind him with Chang. Was Lydia making this unusual request because of the Arterminians' matriarchical leanings? He thought it was very interesting that the alien woman's attention had gone to Mai. He wondered if the difference in the MACO and Starfleet uniforms had given the Arterminian the impression that Mai was his superior; now that was an ironic thought. Mai could have easily have made Captain or maybe even Admiral by now if she had stayed in Starfleet. She probably could have been a Colonel in the MACOs if it didn't mean taking her out of the action to increase her rank.

"If that is your superior's name, then yes," Lydia replied to his question.

For some reason the alien's assumption made his ire rise; maybe it was her arrogance or tone that rubbed him the wrong way; all her charm was gone now. "She's not my superior," he said almost defensively. "I'm the Captain of this ship; you can deal with me." Machaon eyes were about to bug out of his head as he watched the interaction. He was desperately trying to get Archer's attention, but the Captain seemed to be ignoring him.

"I refuse to deal with the likes of _you_._ You _are male," Lydia told him as if that explained everything.

T'Pol felt compelled to intervene. She knew how human ego could sometimes cause conflict; even a man like Archer suffered from the affliction from time to time. "Captain, if I may be of assistance," she offered in a composed voice. Archer, although starting to feel frustrated, gladly allowed T'Pol to help out. As she approached the center seat, he stepped back closer to Mairead.

"She is not an agreeable or acceptable representative," Lydia said hotly as her gaze took in the Vulcan woman. "She is Vulcan," she continued on with distain in her voice. "We do not deal with Vulcans either." Her tone booked no room for argument. Hoshi and Malcolm shared a glance at this pronouncement. To them both, Vulcans were the ultimate diplomats; why would the Arterminians turn that down?

Archer did everything he could not to roll his eyes. He had to seem in control of himself. It was one thing to shoot him down, but T'Pol; she didn't deserve the alien's holier-than-thou attitude. He looked at Mai; she had a strange expression on her face. It was half concern and half shock. "While Major Donnelly is a very competent officer, she is part of our ship's security detail, not Starfleet personnel," he told Lydia trying to bail Mai out this situation. This was not supposed to be part of her job description; not that he didn't think she couldn't handle it. He knew very well she could, and he would trust her to work things out, but she had just come aboard yesterday for crying out loud. She didn't need the added stress of trying to resolve this volatile state of affairs. As captain, it was his job to so.

"Major Donnelly is a warrior, no?" Lydia now asked.

"Yes, yes, she is that," Archer couldn't help but say; that basically was her job description. Again, the alien woman must be inferring that from Mai's dress and demeanor. And it had been his bright idea to have the MACO holding their pulse rifles.

"Then she is acceptable to us," Lydia informed him like it should have been obvious from the beginning.

Damn, this alien wouldn't budge on the issue. Archer was going to have to let Mai take the lead on this, whether he really wanted to or not. He wanted to discuss it with her first and the rest of the senior staff before he actually allowed it to happen, however. He wouldn't force Mai to do this if she really didn't want to.

Mai seemed to almost echo his thoughts exactly, for she stepped forward respectfully acknowledging Lydia with a small bow of her head. Then she said, "I'm honored First Commander, that ya would wish to 'ave me speak fer my people, but this tis an unusual request for us. May we have a few minutes ta discuss the matter amongst the ships line officers, and then resume our dealings with ya and yer people?"

Lydia appeared to consider Mairead's words carefully. Then she actually smiled. "Of course, Major Donnelly," she said in a much friendlier tone than before. "Please contact us again in half an hour. We will try and wait patiently for you, to honor your wishes, but we do want what is ours back." With that she gave a little bow in return and the screen went blank.

"That was very diplomatically done, Major," T'Pol commented a few seconds later.

"Thank you, Commander," Mairead said. "But I think me knees are about to give out." And, in fact, they did. Jonny caught her before she hit the ground. "Did I jist do that?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"You sure did, Mai," Archer told her, supporting most of her weight. "Do you think you can do it again?"

Mairead looked into his eyes and found that he really needed her to be able to. She would, for him. "Sure thing, Cap'n," she told him.

Malcolm couldn't believe this was happening. Major Donnelly had been aboard for a little less than a day, and already she was being thrown into delicate dealings with another species. Talk about trial by fire; he did not envy her in the least. He was the shoot first, ask questions later type, and he wouldn't want the task she had ahead of her. Maybe he really should try to be more agreeable to work with. She would need his help, and that might just make up for his earlier words and actions.

"Let's move this discussion to a conference room, shall we?" Archer said, as he stood Mai back on her feet again. She looked a little pale, but otherwise all right. He hoped he wasn't asking too much of her.

"Do you want me to let Commander Tucker and Doctor Phlox know their presence is needed?" Hoshi then asked of Archer.

"Yes, please do, Hoshi. Thanks," he responded. "Tell them to meet us in the large conference room on E deck in five minutes. We don't have a lot of time to waste."

"Aye, sir," Hoshi said and went about her assignment.

* * *

It was more like ten minutes later when everyone was finally seated in the conference room around a large wooden table. Mairead was fighting a steady panic that kept trying to overwhelm her. She didn't mind taking on people or aliens in battle; that was straightforward and she knew exactly what to do. Talking to people and making a good first impression, as to not start a firefight, was not as easy; it tended to get sticky and very complicated. Mairead wished she could be outnumbered five to one rather than have to negotiate with these aliens, but Jonny was going to need her to, so she'd do it.

When Trip found out what had happened, he had been floored, but his confidence in Mairead was unshakable. If Jonathan Archer had to step down for once, the best person to take his place would be Mai; she was just like him. All the senior staff had agreed she needed to be the one to spearhead the discussions with the Arterminians. They had gone over other female officers, both Starfleet and MACO, but they kept coming back to Mairead. Hoshi was great at communication, and her natural talents as a linguist and her general easy-to-get-along-with personality made Archer seriously consider her. But Hoshi shot herself down as a candidate, pointing out her lower rank and the fact that, even though she had grown much in the department of confrontation and battle skills, she was no warrior. She just didn't think the Arterminians would go for her.

Corporal McKenzie had the most experience out in the space exploration field and was an exceptional MACO unit leader, but First Commander Lydia had looked right past her on the bridge. McKenzie felt she should be counted out as well. All the other ranking member of the senior staff or ranking MACO personnel were male, so they couldn't do it, and T'Pol had been found unacceptable as well. Major Donnelly was the only logical choice in the end, as T'Pol had reasoned to them.

"I don't mind pretendin' to be in charge, Cap'n," Mairead now told Archer, "but I need ta know what I'm allowed ta say and allowed ta offer 'em. Cap'n Machaon did ask fer asylum, sir. Are we gonna let 'em stay and risk gettin' the Arterminians mad at us? Or do we basically sell 'em back inta slavery?" Mairead wasn't too keen on that idea.

"You are basing your reasoning on assumptions and not facts, Major," T'Pol spoke up. "Who are we to try and dictate what another cultural has decided is their social norm."

Reed jumped in next. "I'd say her assumptions are very much based on some facts, Commander. Captain Machaon was literally beside himself begging Captain Archer to get out of this region of space before their friends out there showed up. And the way he and some of his men reacted to our women indicates to me that the men over there are treated pretty roughly. They don't want to go back; that's fairly obvious." He was working on his new desire to help the MACO major by saying all of this.

"I'm not saying I agree that the women's harsh treatment of the men is right, but if their men are breaking their laws by running away, aren't we aiding and abetting criminals? We have to respect other species' laws, don't we?" This devil's advocate argument came from Travis.

"But don't we have a right to hold on to our own morals and ethics," Trip put in. "How can we in good conscience turn them back over if we know that their gonna be punished just for wantin' to be free?"

"I would hate to have just saved their lives, for them to be taken away again because of their status as runaways. Yet, we must somehow respect the Arterminians ways of life as well. It is something of a conundrum," Phlox supplied his opinion as well.

Archer rubbed his temples with one hand, using his thumb and ring finger to message them. "I hear what you are all saying. Machaon asked for my help – our help, and I can't turn him down. But on the other hand I don't want to blow all this out of proportion and cause Earth to have another enemy out here. Let's try to reason with them and talk them into letting Machaon and his crew stay with us and see what happens. We have to be able to work things out with the Arterminians. Maybe we have something we could trade them for these runaways, compensate them in some way."

Mairead was taking careful mental notes of everything that was talked about. She would do just what Jonny told her to do, but if the Arterminians didn't go according to script, she'd have to find a way to improvise. "We can't out run 'em can we?" Mairead asked of Malcolm.

"I'm afraid not," Malcolm said, knowing what Major Donnelly was getting at. She wanted to know if things got bad, could they make a run for it. "They can do up to warp seven point five. That's more than enough to overtake us if we tried to turn tail and run."

"And they'd be able to do considerable damage to _Enterprise_ and possibly severely cripple or destroy her," Nate Kemper informed them all soberly.

Mairead shook her head in consternation. "I don't 'ave much wiggle room," she realized.

"No you don't, Major, but we can at least try it our way," Archer said, "and see where it gets us."

Suddenly, a burst of bright yellow and then orange light made its way through the conference room, accompanied by a loud whining sound. The rooms occupants had to cover there ears the sound was so loud. "What the hell?" Trip cursed at a raised volume. The light and sound left almost as soon as they had begun, but they had swept through the entire room.

Archer got up and thumbed a comm panel on one of the conference room's walls. "Archer to Bridge, report. What just happened?"

"The Arterminians launched some kind of sensor sweep over our entire ship, Captain," came the voice of Corporal Kang; Archer had left him in charge on the bridge.

"Any damage?" Archer asked.

"No, sir," Chang answered. "All ship systems seem to be unaffected. I think they may have just been scanning us to check us out more fully."

Archer didn't like the idea at all. "Double check and make sure their scan didn't mess with any of the ship's systems or personnel. We'll be back to the bridge in a few minutes."

"Aye, sir. Chang out," and Chang was gone.

As the senior staff's impromptu meeting broke up, they all made their way to the bridge. Trip and Phlox wanted to be up there to lend a hand or be morale support for Mairead; well at least Trip did, Phlox was just damn curious. Archer hung back from the main part of their group and signaled Mairead to do so too. She caught his subtle gesture and took her time walking to the turbolift.

"Any last minute advice, Cap'n?" Mai asked him tentatively.

"First, are you okay with this, Mai, because if you aren't--," he tried to say, but Mairead cut him off.

"I'll be fine," she told him. "Really. It's not like I 'aven't 'ad ta bluff me way through a difficult situation before, sir," she said looking at him meaningfully.

He knew exactly what she was talking about. Mairead had to take over at Starfleet Training on more than one occasion for an instructor that had been a little less than reliable and a little too friendly with a bottle of alcohol. Mai had always been at the top of her class, always skipping ahead of what they were being taught, plus she had Archer's know-how and experience to booster her learning curve. It had been totally by accident that Mai had been put in a position to take over for her instructor in Exobiology, but after the first time it happened, the instructor leaned more and more on her, giving her more and more responsibility to actually teach the class. Mai knew the information, but trying to teach it was a whole different ball game, and she literally had to almost become another person to do it.

"You know I have every confidence in you, Mai," he couldn't stop using the nickname; it was just too natural, too familiar, "but this is a little more than you bargained for, right out of the gate."

Mairead gave him a half-hearted smile, but it still sent tingles up his spine when she directed it at him. "This is a new beginnin' for me, Jonny," she slipped. "I might tas well jump in with both feet, don'tcha think?"

"Yes ma'am," he replied. "But if at any time you feel like you're drowning, don't hesitate to let me know." He smiled back at her, trying to be reassuring. Then it was her turn to feel the tingles.

Machaon was pacing the bridge when Archer and Mairead arrived. He immediately latched on to the Captain again. "You're not going to let them take us back are you? You wouldn't condemn us so, would you?" He stayed well away from Mairead, as he spoke to Archer.

"We'll do everything we can to help you out, Captain Machaon," Archer said cautiously, "but it all depends on how strongly your friends decide to pursue the matter."

Machaon looked panicked for a moment, but then said, "Fair enough, Captain Archer, fair enough. Your security person will argue for us?" He asked this question with much worry in his voice, like he didn't really believe Mairead would fight for them.

"I'll do me best lad," Mairead answered for Archer, directly addressing Machaon. "I don't wanna see ya end up back in a life that ya tried to flee from, but somethin' tells me that yer womenfolk may put up a fight for ya."

"You speak more kindly and honestly than I thought you would," Machaon said after a moment's pause. "And you may be right. First Commander Lydia is not someone you want to cross. She can be very…vindictive," he added, trying to pick the right word.

"The Arterminians are hailing us," Hoshi let them know. She was now back at her station, ear piece in position and all business. "It seems our thirty minutes are up," she commented wryly.

"Showtime," Mairead said, taking a deep breathe. She took her position at the front of the bridge, in front of the captain's chair. She had her rifle slung over her shoulder; a silent show of strength. Archer gave her shoulder a slight squeeze and wished her good luck. Then he stepped into the background, although it nearly killed him to do so. He was not used to sitting on the sidelines; it wasn't a position he like to be in.

Hoshi projected First Commander Lydia's elegant and fierce form on the view screen once more. Mairead stood a little straighter and became the hardened military commander her team knew all too well. "Greetings again, First Commander," she said crisply, trying to lose some of her Irish accent.

"Ah, Major Donnelly, it is a pleasure to see you again," Lydia said with obvious relief. Archer felt his cheek twitch in irritation.

"I believe you had something important to discuss with me," Mairead decided to get straight to the point and get the conversation over with.

Lydia smiled and showed perfect, white teeth. Malcolm thought she would be very attractive, if she weren't so arrogant. "Yes. It seems you have in your custody some property that was stolen from us: six Arterminian males. They belong to our Queen, Hippolyta. She is willing to pay or trade anything you desire to get them back. They are some of her most priceless possessions."

Mairead had to literally bit her tongue not to make some smart-ass remark about the Arterminian men being more than mere possessions. "I'm afraid, I'm not quite sure what you mean?" she fibbed, again talking without her Irish brogue. "We answered a distress call and found a captain and crew in dire circumstances; having lost all power to their ship, having lost life support, and having been heavily fired upon. We rescued and treated the captain and crew." Mairead was bound and determined to make sure she talked about Machaon and his men as people, not things.

Lydia's face seemed to take on a very sour expression, like she had eaten something that didn't agree with her. "Those are they who belong to our Queen. They were trying to leave her service – a crime punishable by death for any male – and we were simply trying to stop them. We want you to give them back to us. They do not belong to you or your species."

"The men in question have no such wish to return to you or your Queen, First Commander," Mairead tried to sound respectful, but firm as well. "They have specially requested that they stay here aboard our ship. My species places a high value on life and the quality of it. We don't wish to make it an issue with you, but we can't in good conscience return them to you against their will."

"They are only six males," Lydia said. "Under _our_ law," she put heavy stress on that word, "they have no right to claim asylum. They have no rights at all. The law dictates that they be returned to us."

Mairead could feel the fight coming on; Lydia was not going to let this go. She tried to choose her next words carefully. "We understand the importance of up holding law and order. It is paramount in our culture too, but we also do not believe in treating others of our species or those of different species as slaves. It is true at different times in our history we did so, but we have grown and evolved much since then. We consider it a crime to treat a sentient being as property."

Lydia looked truly perplexed. A strikingly beautiful, burgundy woman with black hair came forward and whispered in Lydia's ear. Lydia now frowned out right. She turned back to Mairead. "We were going to ask you for an exchange," she finally said.

"An exchange?" Mairead asked, taken aback. "What do you mean, First Commander?"

"Our Queen is in need of six household attendants, Major," Lydia explained as if to a small child. "If you desire our males for your own purposes or see them as useful tools now that you've examined them, we would ask you to give us six of your own males to replace them. The scans we took of your ship and crew have determined that your males are very comparable to ours. They would be acceptable for a trade."

Mairead couldn't believe what she had just heard. The Arterminians wanted her to give them six male crew members to replace the six Arterminian males that had runaway. They thought she wanted to keep the Arterminian men for herself. This was absurd. What happened to we would be willing to trade you anything to get them back? It sounded like Lydia was turning things around now that she thought the men had value to Mairead. She desperately wanted to look to Archer for guidance here, but she knew that would be a very bad move in front of the Arterminians. She could feel his gaze at her back very acutely. Everyone else on the bridge seemed to be holding their breathe in shock and in fear of saying something offensive.

Lydia had apparently not listened to a word Mairead had said about how humans viewed life and people's rights. Mairead spared a look at T'Pol; the Vulcan seemed completely unmoved by what was going on around her. Again, Mairead felt herself envy the aliens' control over their emotions. T'Pol did acknowledge her glance and came to stand at Mairead's side. "Could you give me just a moment, First Commander?" she now asked.

Mairead turned expectantly to T'Pol, as Hoshi masterfully muted the communications channel. "I hope ya have a good suggestion 'bout 'ow to deal with this, T'Pol," the MACO major told the Vulcan, just shy of real panic, her Irish brogue coming back thick and full. Behind her, she felt Jonny, unobservably, move closer to her. "I'm not 'bout to sell off six crewmen to these aliens."

"That's good to hear, Major, because I wouldn't want you to," Jonny whispered to her, right at her back now, but unseen by the Arterminians. T'Pol's repositioning herself to stand next to Mairead had been for two purposes: one was so Archer could confer with Major Donnelly with out the notice of the Arterminians, and two was so she could offer the major some of her own advice.

"You're doing great, so far, Mai," Archer told her encouragingly. "Keep going; don't back down now."

"But if I refuse ta give 'em some of our people, won't that anger 'em?" Mairead asked.

T'Pol answered her. "Perhaps not. You should attempt to negotiate with the Arterminians to trade for something else of equal value to them. Let them know our crewmen are not an option. They seem to reason logically and with purpose, although not along the same paths as humans or Vulcans do, but their thinking does have some logic to it, at least in their minds. Use that to your advantage."

"Don't give in," Archer instructed her. "Lydia is testing you to see how far she can push you before you push back. Show her she's pushed too far, but do it subtly and tactfully."

"That's easier said than done, lad," Mairead tried to quip to ease the tightness in her body. She felt Jonny's hand seek one of hers out and he squeezed it when he found it.

"You can do it, Mai," he whispered right in her ear, just for her to hear. "I have faith in you." He felt her squeeze his hand back, and then she broke their contact and stepped forward.

She motioned for Hoshi to open the channel again. Travis, Trip, Malcolm, Phlox, Machaon, and the MACO leaders were all having a hard time keeping still and quiet waiting to see what would happen next. "I've conferred with _Enterprise's_, First Officer, Commander T'Pol," Mairead said, indicating T'Pol standing next to her. "I'm afraid she has informed me that we cannot spare any of our crewmen," she announced, again losing her Irish accent, to be as formal as possible. She tried to sound believable and yet no-nonsense at the same time. "Maybe we can come up with something else to trade you with; something that would make up the loss to your Queen. We understand the fact that we cannot keep your people without fairly compensating you in some way."

Lydia seemed to consider Mairead's words carefully before she spoke again. "Do you have any gold pressed latinum or any other form of rare jewels to trade? We might be willing to accept some form of monetary compensation," she said.

Oh, hell, now the Arterminians wanted her to buy the captain and his five crewmen. Mairead felt her brow crinkle in consternation. "I'm sorry, First Commander, but we don't carry around any cash or goods of that kind. We are explorers, not merchants. What else might be acceptable to you?"

The dark burgundy woman approached Lydia again and whispered in her ear. She also gave Lydia some kind of data display pad, like the ones the _Enterprise's_ crew used. The First Commander studied it for a moment, and then turned her attention back to Mairead and those around her. "The one behind you," she said pointing passed Mairead to Archer, "his name isJonathan Archer, correct?" She looked at Archer and then at the pad in her hand and then back to Archer again, as if to try and confirm his identity.

Mairead felt cold dread settle in the pit of her stomach; she had a bad feeling about this. "Yes, it is," she managed to respond. "Why do you ask?"

"We pride ourselves on being outstanding hunters and trackers," Lydia told her. "It has come to our attention that the Klingon Empire has a bounty out on the head of one Jonathan Archer of Earth. They are offering quite the substantial reward for him. We would be willing to accept him for the six Arterminian males. The reward would be more than enough to cover their loss."

Mairead had to look at Jonny now; she had no idea he was a wanted man. He gave her a quick glance and then looked straight ahead. Trying to overcome her initial shock, Mairead knew there was no way in hell that she would give Jonny over to these bounty hunting aliens. She would give him up over her dead body. "I don't think so, First Commander," Mairead replied, her voice suddenly cold as ice; she was sure her eyes were too. "He is much too valuable to this crew. Name something else."

"I've suggested three choices to you now, Major Donnelly, and you have rejected them all," Lydia said hotly. "We want our property back or just compensation. You will give it to us or we will take it by force. We are well within our rights."

"You are not going to bully us into anything, First Commander," Mairead returned with equal angry heat. "You make one aggressive move against us and we will defend ourselves. What you've asked of us is unreasonable." Mairead knew she was close to crossing the line; she felt Jonny move closer to her again.

"Your ship is no match for ours," Lydia huffed. "We have been merciful up till now, Major, but our patience is wearing thin. Give us what is ours or we will open fire."

Mairead was not about to let this snotty bitch intimidate her. "We will not treat the lives of your six males like they are a commodity. They are living, breathing, sentient people who deserve to make their own choice; they have chosen to leave your corrupt and despicable society and asked us for help. We will not turn them away, and we will not go down without a fight. Do you really want to risk destroying our ship and your men if you chose to battle with us? That decision could cost you dearly."

Malcolm's mouth was hanging open at Major Donnelly's bold words. She was saying exactly what everyone on the bridge was thinking, but not caring about being politically correct about it. She was provoking the aliens to attack them, but she wasn't letting go of her beliefs and values. If it wasn't risking the lives of the entire crew, Malcolm would have applauded her.

Trip was looking at Archer in shock and awe; Mai had really grown a steel spine. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the situation she was creating. Travis and Hoshi exchanged looks of pride and fear at her words. Phlox and T'Pol were shaking their heads in dread, looking at the Captain to do something. Machaon was standing mesmerized by Mairead's passionate stance on his behalf; no female had ever spoken like this in his favor before.

Archer was frozen in place. He couldn't blame Mai for why she was pushing this confrontation so far, for he could see himself doing the exact same thing, and he _had _told her to push back, but this was too far. How could he salvage this situation? He went to grab Mairead's arm to turn her to face him. He had to tell her to stop this; the Arterminians watching be damned. He was stunned when Mai shook him off and stepped farther forward.

"You may be right, Major Donnelly," Lydia suddenly said. "A firefight would cost us dearly. Why would we want to expend the energy in engaging you in a battle, when we can simply neutralize you and take what we want." As she said this, a piecing whine overtook the bridge and a flash of bright white light washed over everyone. Afterward no one could move; they were paralyzed, even T'Pol and Phlox.

"We will not waste anymore time talking to you," Lydia went on to her captive audience. "All you have is now ours."

Mairead watched in alarm as Machaon disappeared from the bridge in some kind of red energy beam. The heart-stopping horror did not end there, for soon Trip, Archer, Travis, Kemper, Chang, and Malcolm vanished from before her in more beams of red energy. Phlox was left untouched, as were T'Pol, Hoshi, and McKenzie. The Arterminians not only stole their men back, they were taking the men of _Enterprise _as well.

"You see," Lydia smirked at Mairead. "That was all too easy. But, I don't think we're done yet. You, Major Donnelly, show great potential in your power as a female. It might be fun to train you in our ways and see what you will become. We don't often take or accept into our society those from other species, but you fascinate us. You stood up to us without showing any fear. We admire this courage. We will take you too."

Mairead wanted to scream, to rave, to rant, to get her hands around Lydia's throat and squeeze. The Arterminians had been playing with them this whole time, stalling to find away through _Enterprise's_ defenses. This had been their plan the entire time and Mairead had fallen hook, line, and sinker for it, but so had everyone else. _What have I done?_ Mairead asked herself as the full extent of the diabolical scheme hit her. Then a red beam enveloped her, and her world went black.

TBC

**Don't forget to let me know what you thought. What is the verdict on this chapter? Was it any good? You can be honest. I've left everybody in kind of a bad spot, so review to motivate me to end the cliffhanger. Thanks!!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**A/N: I decided to add in another original character to make the story more fun for me to write. I picked a species well-established in the Trek Universe to use to create him, and I hope you like who I came up with. In this chapter you get to find out what happened to some of the senior staff. Archer finds himself in an interesting situation, as do Mai and Malcolm. I would really appreciate any short reviews or comments that readers have run through their minds when they read this. I just want to know what you guys think. A reader's opinion and their feelings are important to an author, so don't be shy; just tell me. Please!! Thanks!!**

**A shout out to LadyRainbow, for once again helping me keep things straight!!**

**Chapter 6**

**Becoming Property**

Captain Jonathan Archer abruptly came to as ice cold water was thrown directly in his face and down over his head. He sputtered and coughed as he accidentally swallowed some of it. It took him a minute to figure out where he was and what was going on. The thick chains around his wrists and ankles confused him. He felt cold, exposed, and he hurt from head to toe. He suddenly realized he was somebody's prisoner.

The Arterminians had captured - no, kidnapped - he and many of the _Enterprise _crew. The whole confrontation between Mai and the Arterminian captain had been just a diversion; a trick to buy them the time they needed to put their plan into action. Archer cursed himself for not seeing their treachery sooner. He knew there was a reason the Vulcans didn't talk much about them in their database. A warning would have been nice, however. It was Archer's own fault for trying to see the good in people, because sometimes it just wasn't there. The habit sometimes blinded him to people's true natures.

As the world focused around him, he noticed that he was no longer in his uniform. He was shirtless and had on some kind of short, leather pants; he thought they were a dark brown, but the lighting was poor, so he couldn't tell for sure. He shivered from the cold water and the chilly air around him. He felt terribly vulnerable and very trapped; two feelings he really hated. He was in a dungeon of some kind, he guessed; not the best place to wake up in.

Then another douse of freezing cold water hit him full-on in his face. "I'm awake, damn it!" he growled in anger; anger was better than fear at this point. Suddenly, a stabbing pain, starting in his neck and traveling through his whole body, sent him to the ground, causing him to writhe in agony. It spread throughout his entire nervous system. Then the pain was gone almost as soon as it had begun.

"Oh, I like _this_ one," a strong, but feminine voice commented. "He is not only an attractive male, but also one that is full of spirit. It has been a long time since I have come across so willful a male. Are the rest of his species like this?"

"Many are, my queen, but not all," a voice that was somehow familiar to Archer replied to the first voice. "Some seem to be weaker than our most submissive males."

Archer finally felt the pain fade away and was able to get the water out of his eyes. He made them focus on the speakers; they sounded like they were right in front of him. He wondered why he could understand them. Why did it sound like they were speaking English when he didn't have Hoshi or a Universal Translator?

He saw before him the form of the alluring, mauve First Commander that had perpetrated the crime of abduction against his crew. He also beheld another stunningly beautiful Arterminian woman. Her hot pink skin startled Archer, for it was a contrast to the long, tan skirt and halter top, but a darker tan cloak was fastened at her throat A fancy, feathery headdress was perched upon her sunny, spun-gold braid, and knee-high boots completed the outfit.

"Where the hell am I?" he demanded. "What have you done with my crew?" It took him a lot of effort to get up off the floor, and then he only made it to his knees in front of them. A trio of almost purple women flanked him; protecting their queen. They were all dressed in black leather battle gear, spears in their hands.

The hot pink woman smiled at him as if he had just performed some kind of neat trick. "Oh yes, he _is_ a strong one," she said with breathy excitement in her voice, and ignoring Archer's questions. The Arterminian queen stalked around him in her knee-high, sharply high-heeled boots.

Archer couldn't get over her bright coloring; her skin really _was_ hot pink in color. Her golden eyes roved over every inch of his body, as her hands squeezed his muscles and caressed his skin. Under other circumstances he wouldn't have minded such an eye-catching woman's attention and touch, but hers made him flinch. He felt like a prized thoroughbred being looked over by a perspective buyer. She even grabbed his chin and made him expose his teeth.

"He appears in his prime; fit and healthy," the queen stated.

"Yes, my queen. All medical screenings show him and the others to be in good health and in excellent condition," First Commander Lydia responded swiftly. "He is a good catch, and the all the others are good prizes as well," she added.

"Indeed," the queen said with a nod of her head. "I think humans are a perfect addition to our assemblage. I want this one here, for my own personal collection, and to pick from some of the other top specimens you have captured. The rest you can sell as you please to the highest bidder. You have done very well, Lydia. You do your family proud this day."

"Thank you, my queen," Lydia said, obviously pleased with this praise from her monarch.

Archer couldn't stay silent a moment longer. "You can't do this to us!" he cried. "We are an independent and sentient species. You can't just come along and take us against our wills and make us your slaves!" He was beyond angry now. The Arterminians reminded him a lot of the Orions; ruthless and immoral, with little regard for life.

Lydia and the queen looked at him and then at each other with bemused expressions. "I think you need to show him his place, Lydia," the queen ordered. Lydia brought her leather gauntleted arm up in front of her and pressed something on its cuff. Searing pain shot through his body again. It came from his neck once more, and he fell to the ground, convulsing. A scream was ripped from his lips, the pain was so intense.

When the pain finally ceased, he lay on the floor, gasping for breath. Lydia knelt beside him and acted like she was going to help him sit up. Instead, she grabbed him roughly by his short hair and yanked him upright. He grimaced and hissed in pain again.

"One can do anything they want with enough strength, power, and authority to do so, you foolish man. We've implanted a control device deep within your neck muscles, close to your brain stem and spinal cord. When it is activated it causes extreme pain and discomfort. It can even cause death if used for long enough. It is to teach you obedience or kill you if you are too slow to learn. The implant also acts as a translator so you can understand and fulfill our commands. I suggest you learn quickly, Archer, or face the deadly consequences that disobedience brings." She released her grip on his hair and let him fall back to the ground.

"Archer is the male human's name, correct?" the queen now asked.

"Yes, Queen Hippolyta, it is," Lydia answered her respectfully, coming to stand by her.

"How fitting," she said, rather pleased. "Our great goddess is considered a master bowman. It is a sign that she approves of our actions." Hippolyta now eyed Archer with a hungry look. He was an alien that fascinated her; she would enjoy owning him.

She walked over to him as he struggled to rise up off the floor once more. He only made it into a sitting position this time. He didn't like being looked at like a piece of meat; it was truly disturbing. Hippolyta reached out and ran a hand up and down his chest, finding the texture and feel of his chest hair a new sensation. "These humans are so different, yet so like our males at the same time," she whispered. "I will enjoy examining this one for a long time."

Archer shivered again, both from revulsion at his treatment, and from the soft, feminine hand on his flesh. The latter was an instinctual, human male reaction to an enchanting woman. His recent longing for Mai seemed to make that reaction that much stronger. He couldn't help the slight pleasure he felt. Hippolyta noted his very male response to her gentle caress.

"He is so much a male," she said with a wicked smile. "He is already a slave to his desires for a female. It is no wonder we can dominate them so."

"Please don't do this to my people," he found himself begging. "Keep me if you want for your collection, but let the others go."

His seeming act of self-sacrifice appeared to surprise Hippolyta from the look on her face. "It does not have to an unpleasant captivity," she told him as she stroked his cheek. She liked this new male; he was full of surprises. "How you and your people are treated is up to you. We can reward as well as punish."

"You don't understand," he tried to clarify for her. "My people need their freedom to flourish. It is part of who we are, what makes us human. We are willing to fight to the death for it, to keep it. When we lose it, we wither and become shells of our former selves."

"You are most curious, Archer," Hippolyta said with wonder in her voice. "We will teach you how to live otherwise. We will domestic your wildness. You can choose if you survive or die." With that she stood and left him there, chained to the dungeon floor.

"Clean him up and transport him back to my residence," she ordered Lydia and her guards. "I would now like to inspect some of the others now. If they are as promising as him, then I shall triple your payment, Lydia. I need good stock to replace Machaon and those that rebelled with him."

Lydia was beaming at the queen's offer. "Whatever you wish, my queen," she replied happily.

Archer found his mouth moving without thinking. "Wait. Didn't you snatch Machaon and those with him when you kidnapped me and my people? Don't you have them back in your possession like you wanted? Why would you need replacements?"

Lydia gave Archer a glare to silence him and made to touch her gauntlet again. "You have no right to question our queen so," she growled at him.

"No, it's all right. I'll answer the human's questions," Hippolyta gently rebuffed Lydia. "He needs to understand the penalties of disobedience." Then she turned back to Archer. "I must replace Machaon and those that were with him because they have been put to death; executed for their crime. Men do not leave our service without permission, let alone steal a ship and leave the system. The law they broke carries with it a death sentence."

Archer just gaped at her in horror. She spoke of Machaon in the past tense, like he had already been killed. He felt all hope drain out of him then. Machaon had found a way to escape from his captivity, but now he was dead, and dead men tell no secrets.

Hippolyta seemed satisfied by his reaction to what she had told him. Then her attention went back to Lydia, as the First Commander asked, "What of the human female we took as well, Major Donnelly? What would you like done with her?"

"If she is everything you claim she is, then we must train her in our ways and see if she can become one of us. If she fails to, we'll kill her. I'd like you to oversee her induction into our society. You may use my residence and its grounds as your instruction center. That way you will have everything at your disposal to use to influence her, and I can keep an eye on her progress," Hippolyta offered Lydia.

Archer's attention snapped to at the mention of Mai. They took her too? She must have made _some_ impression on these warrior women. Her first mission out in space and she gets kidnapped by a bunch of sadistic and domineering aliens; lovely. It made him sick that they wanted to brainwash her into becoming one of them, like them. A small spark of hope was rekindled within him, however. If anyone could resist brainwashing and find a way out of this mess, it would be Mairead Donnelly.

He just prayed she really could withstand whatever the Arterminians were going to subject her to. Maybe if they were going to both be at the queen's residence he could find her and form a plan of escape with her. He needed to find out just how many people from _Enterprise _were taken and who were left aboard to come to their rescue. He had to believe that they would, for that was the only thought that would allow him to survive this nightmarish situation.

* * *

Waking up in strange places had never been something Mairead Donnelly enjoyed; in fact, it downright scared her sometimes, even despite her military training, but she was not expecting to find herself in a soft and downy bed. Maybe a cold, dark, and dank prison cell, but not a plush bedroom that looked like it belonged to royalty. The colors around her were golds, tans, and creams. One wall was completely mirrored. The bed was large, four-posted, and canopied in golden shades.

Mairead caught her reflection in the mirror. She wore a shiny gold nightgown that went to her knees and hugged her feminine shape tightly. _What the hell is going on?_ she wondered. She thought she was supposed to be a captive. She shook her head, trying to get all the cobwebs out of it and trying to understand what was going on. Then she heard it; a soft clanking noise, or jangling of metal. It sounded like it was coming from over against the far wall.

She sat up and looked around the room some more. Mairead noticed a set of doors that looked like they led out onto a terrace or something like that. The jingling clanking sounded throughout the room again. She turned the other direction toward the far side of the room. When her eyes located the sound of the noise, she about fell out of the bed. She saw Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, wearing only black, short leather pants, chained to a post. His arms were held above his head, limiting his mobility. Another man was also chained up to the post by his wrists. He looked very human to Mairead, but she knew he was not one of the _Enterprise_ crew. She had familiarized herself with all of the people currently serving aboard the starship, for just a situation like this. She didn't remember all of their names, but she could recognize whether or not they belonged to the crew.

The stranger was dressed similar to Reed. He had dark, short hair and pale skin, as if he didn't get out in the sun much. His body was well-muscled, but not overly so; he seemed to be in good shape. When her eyes met his, they were a rich, dark brown, almost black, and very, very haunted. It made Mairead's heart go out to him. Reed seemed to be in a little worse condition. He sported a black left eye and had a split lip. The security chief of _Enterprise_ must have put up quite a fight; he'd obviously been beaten.

"Major Donnelly?" Lieutenant Reed questioned incredulously when he noticed her sitting up in the bed. _And boy does she look good,_ Malcolm couldn't help but think. He hadn't ever seen her with her hair down, and now it flowed around her like honey. Of all the places he could have ended up as a prisoner, this was not where he expected to be, but he was not going to knock it.

"Yeah it's me, Lieutenant Reed," she replied, trying to overcome her shock. Her Irish accent was a welcome sound to Malcolm's ears.

"Are you all right? They didn't hurt you did they?" he asked next, ever the protector.

"I don'tta think so," she told him. "But I'm confused as to why I'm 'ere and you're there, though. Are ya all right? It looks like ya've been in a fist fight."

Malcolm answered her with his famous, "I'm fine," mantra. Then he went on to explain further. "When I first became conscious I decided I wasn't going to make it easy on our captors. They weren't too happy about my behavior, however, and managed to subdue me." He winced as if he was still feeling the effects of the beating; he probably was. "The only reason I can guess as to why you're up there and I down here is the difference in our gender. You're female and I'm male; the Arterminians aren't kind to males."

"Whose yer friend?" she managed to ask, after she took in what Malcolm had said.

"I am Andrus Tam," the stranger spoke for the first time, after carefully observing Donnelly and Reed. "Apparently you two know each other." The haunted look in his dark eyes was gone, and he seemed to put up a more "happy-go-lucky" front suddenly.

"We're both security officers aboard our starship," Malcolm supplied. "We've been taken prisoner against our will."

"As have I," Andrus said. "The Arterminians attacked and raided my science vessel," he told them. "We drifted too far into Arterminian territory studying a stellar nursery. I'm going to warn you that they must want to try and turn you into one of them. It is a sick game to them to try and force the females of other species to become as cruel and heartless as they are. You are only being held in a more glided cage than the men," he explained to Mairead. He couldn't stop staring at the beautiful, fair haired woman on the bed. He fought not to let his infatuation show on the outside, however. He fervently hoped she wouldn't become like the Arterminian women. It interested him that she was a security officer; that meant the Arterminians liked the warrior they must have seen in her. That piqued his curiosity about her even more.

Mairead had to ask the burning question; she couldn't resist. "What species are ya? Ya look like us, human, I mean."

The dark haired man offered her a small smile. "And my similarity to your species troubles you?" he asked, surprising her. It was like he was testing her.

"It doesn't trouble me, at least not in a bad way. It just confuses me," she tried to explain. "I didn't expect to meet anyone that so closely resembled my own species. I understand how it's theoretically possible, but it jist caught me by surprise." As she spoke she thought she felt something brush her mind; she didn't know how else to define the sensation. It made her breath catch.

"Honesty is a good characteristic to have," he then said to her. "I'm glad you are honest about your feelings. It is a good way to build trust."

Now both Mairead and Malcolm looked at him with intense concentration. "You still haven't answered the Major's question, Mr. Tam. What species are you?" Malcolm demanded. "And how is that we can understand you? I don't think Standard English has spread throughout the galaxy, yet." He smirked at his own joked.

Andrus liked these people instantly. He could tell from their thoughts and feelings that they did not like what had happen to them; being made detainees, and that they would fight with everything they had to gain their freedom again. They were the help he had been praying for; he just knew it. "The Arterminians inject all the men with a control chip. It serves to inspire obedience through pain and threat of death," he said somewhat sarcastically. "It also acts as a translator, for them, and all the species they have in their collection."

"So we're just the newest additions," Malcolm remarked dryly.

"Yes," Andrus said bluntly. "And to answer your other question, I'm from a planet called Betazed. It is surprisingly comforting to me too, to see that humans have a lot in common with us Betazoids." As he said this, he looked at Mairead again. She felt herself blush under his strong gaze, but she didn't know why. She felt something in her mind buzz. Again, it was almost like something was brushing her mind, very gently. It was the strangest sensation, but it wasn't unpleasant.

She met his gaze challengingly then. Was he doing that? Was he trying to read her mind? She had studied enough exobiology to know that there were many alien species out there with that ability: telepaths. She knew that Vulcans were partially so. Malcolm's voice brought her attention back to the matter at hand.

"You know what we are?" the lieutenant asked taken aback.

"Just through some of the conversations I caught here and there from the guards and the queen's personal attendants," Andrus volunteered.

"Queen's attendants?" Malcolm parroted.

"We're being held in her private residence," Andrus informed them. "Believe me…of all the places that they could have sent you to, this is one of the nicer ones."

"How long have ya bin 'ere?" Mairead wanted to know. She tried not to stare back at him. The longer she had to study his build and form, the more she liked what she saw. For an alien, he was very attractive. _Now were did that come from lass?_ she asked herself, attempting to not get distracted. She was supposed to be a professional soldier, but sitting in a big bed, in a sexy nightgown, with two nearly naked men, was making her feel very vulnerable. Her training had not covered this kind of situation. She'd been a married woman too, but it still didn't prepare her for this.

_I find you very attractive too, Major, _a voice in her head told her. _I'm flattered that I cause you such distraction._ She looked in shock at Andrus; he was in her head. He hadn't spoken a word out loud. He was trying not to smile at her. Was he flirting with her? In this dire situation? _You have to find joy in the little things, Major Donnelly. Do you have a first name? _He seemed to answer her thoughts. Her cheeks suddenly felt hot; she didn't know how to react to any of this.

"Get outta me head and answer the question," she commanded, forcing a little anger into her voice.

Malcolm looked at her in alarm. "This alien's in your mind, Major?" he asked astonished. "Leave her alone, you bloody bastard!" he hissed and strained at his bonds.

"I am deeply sorry," Andrus apologized quickly. "I did not mean any harm by my mind reading and telepathy. It is just part of who I am. I can refrain from doing it with you, if you wish. We Betazoids do not like to intrude in anybody's mind without their permission. Forgive me. I was just trying to get a sense of if I could trust you or not and got a little carried away. It will not happen again." He pause for a moment, glancing at Mairead before he added, "I've been the Arterminians slave for five months. Long enough to understand and play by the rules, but not long enough to have lost my desire for freedom."

"You mean if we perform a jail break, you want in?" Malcolm said in understanding, quickly calming down after Andrus' apology.

"Yes, please," Andrus said with earnest effort. "I get the sense from both of you that you will not let them Arterminians dominate you. You won't give up the fight easily. It is about time that a species came along that could stop these evil oppressors. You'll find hundreds of different species here that they've captured and enslaved. It seems maybe this time, the picked the wrong group to try and enslave."

"You're damn straight, lad," Mairead said with unexpected passion. "None of us will give inta this down turn of luck, especially Cap'n Archer. He'll find a way outta this mess, or die tryin'." She knew Jonny would not stand for any of this. She just hoped he was, indeed, still alive and well. _Enterprise_ wouldn't give up on them either. They'd just have to hold on until the cavalry arrived.

"Can you do something about our current situation, Major?" Reed wanted to know. His arms were starting to ache from being held in one position for so long.

Mairead got up off the bed and came to inspect the manacles and chains. Malcolm found himself watching her sleek form, in the revealing nightgown, come closer to him. She was so beautiful. How did someone like her join the MACOs? Why did she give up on Starfleet? Andrus was also eyeing the human woman appreciatively. One of the Four Deities must be looking out for him at last; showing him mercy for his longsuffering. Not that the Arterminians weren't enthralling females; they were only enthralling on the surface, underneath was a bitter ugliness of spirit and mindset. This human woman was so different. She was like a ray of sunshine pushing its way through black storm clouds. Her beauty came from the inside; a spirit of warmth and compassion, yet he sensed in her great sorrow and heartache at the same time. She felt things very deeply it seemed.

"It looks like I'm goin' have ta find some kinda key," she informed them. "These are pretty heavy-duty shackles, lads."

"Why is that your words sound different than his?" Andrus suddenly asked as Mairead started hunting for a set of keys. The Arterminians may like their men chained up, but Mairead didn't.

"She's from a country on our world called Ireland. I hail from England. They are similar in culture, but our language and dialects tend to differ," Malcolm decided to explain. "At one time our countries hated each other and fought terrible wars, but our peoples finally grew up and found common ground."

Andrus seemed absorbed in what Malcolm was saying. "So you now work side by side?" he queried.

"And rather well I think," Malcolm replied, smiling at Mairead's backside as she bent over, looking through some drawers. "It helps when the people you work with are good at their job, and Major Donnelly is one of the best military commanders around."

"So she is a warrior? That would explain why the Arterminians decided to try and make her one of them. They found her worthy of their attention," Andrus said it like it was not a good thing.

"Uh, guys, I standin' right 'ere," she huffed at them. "Don't be talkin' about me like I'm not."

Malcolm would have shrugged his shoulders if he could have. "Sorry, Donnelly," he said smiling sheepishly.

"Do you two have first names?" Andrus asked looking over at Malcolm now.

"I'm Malcolm and she's--," the lieutenant began, but Mairead finished for him.

"I'm Mai," she told Andrus. "I can't find a key anywhere," she then said in frustration.

Just at that moment, the bedroom door banged open and First Commander Lydia strutted in. "That's because I have them, Major Donnelly. You aren't to be trusted with the queen's property yet."

"The queen's property?" Mairead said in confusion. Was Lydia talking about Reed and Andrus?

Lydia rolled her eyes at Mairead's question. "The males," she said it like, "duh, you should know that."

Mairead felt anger begin to well up inside her. "They aren't property ta me," she spat at the Arterminian.

"You will learn to view them that way. We will teach you – I will teach you," Lydia informed her.

"And what if I'm a slow learner?" Mairead's voice was thick with contempt.

"You will be punished, and if you continue to resist, you will be put to death," Lydia said matter-of-factly. Then she went on with some explanation and instructions. "You are to bathe and change into training attire." She threw down some black leather clothing. "Then we will see what kind of warrior skills you actually have. We will see if you are more than just the brave front that you put up before.

"You have been loaned these two males from the queen," Lydia continued. "They are to be your personal attendants. You use them to serve your needs. I chose a man from your ship and your species that you'd be able to relate to. He needs to be broken in. I will show you how that is accomplished. The other male is not of your species, but close enough to be compatible with you. He has been trained by some of our most experience males in how to please a woman. You can use him for release of any physical stress you feel. If he fails to bring you pleasure or is not to your liking, another can be found for you. We want you to experience the heights of bliss that a properly trained male can elicit. It will help you gain an acceptance for how we do things."

Mairead didn't think the state of affairs could get any worse, but they just had; big time. She found herself staring at Andrus, her mouth hanging open in pure shock. He had the manners to blush and duck his head at her reaction. Lydia had a very smug look on her face. "His species is one that we are very fond of. With their mind reading abilities of telepathy and empathy, they can know exactly what a woman needs and give it to her. This one is extremely skillful. I don't think you'll be disappointed."

"What if I –uh- I-uh don't want that kind of service?" Mairead stuttered.

"It is part of your initiation into our society," Lydia said gravely and stood right before Mairead. "To refuse such service would be of the greatest insult to our queen, and that is an offense that is also punishable by death, or the death of the male that is refused."

Mairead's heart sunk. _Shit_, she thought_ now they've made me responsible fer another person's life. I can't do this._

Lydia went on, unaware of Mairead's internal distress. "Also, to refuse any form of the training you receive can lead to the male involved being punished as well as yourself. Do you understand, Major Donnelly?"

Mairead gulped. "Yes," she whispered.

"What was that?" Lydia asked more forcefully. "I didn't hear you, Major."

"I said yes, damn it!" she shouted this time, fighting to hold back the tears.

"Good," Lydia said, seeming very self-satisfied. "You have thirty minutes to bathe, change, and be ready for the physical fighting skills testing. I will release your males to help you, but guards will be right outside."

Mairead wanted to retort that she could handle it by herself, but thought better of it and bit her tongue. "Understood," was all she said in reply.

Lydia pulled out a set of large keys from her waistband and removed the shackles restraining the two men. "I'm leaving with you a control chip activator." It was in the form of a necklace in the shape of a stag head with a silver chain. "If your males step out of line in anyway, you are to use it, especially on the still wild one. If you try to aid in any escape, you and the male will be killed. I will see you soon." With that said, Lydia turned on her heel and was gone.

"Ya never mentioned anythin' about bein' a…." she struggled to find a nice way to put it, "…a pleasure provider!" she finally came up with. She directed her anger to Andrus as he stood by the post, rubbing his wrists. She noticed a bit of his haunted look had come back into his eyes.

"It did not come up in our earlier conversation," he said as an excuse. "It is simple really. You either adapt or die; I chose to adapt. There are worse things they could use me for."

"That was a big omission ta leave out!" she shouted at him. He could feel her anger rolling over him in waves. Part of him was happy that she didn't want to use him that way; that she had standards and ethics, but another part of him felt rejected and disappointed that she didn't want him. He knew she was attracted to him; he'd read it in her mind.

"Do I displease you that much?" Andrus finally asked. He looked to Malcolm for help in understanding. Reed just shook his head and looked at the ground. This was downright embarrassing. Mairead so did not want to be having this conversation in front of Lieutenant Reed.

Then Mairead realized she had bruised Andrus' obviously male ego; she'd hurt his feelings on some level. This was so ridiculous. "No, ya don't. Ya're fine. It's jist the principle of the thing. I don't use people fer sex; it's wrong. My need and urge for it isn't that strong anyway. I'm not a man after all." Andrus knew she was lying, felt it in her emotions. Her urge for physical contact was very strong, but she repressed it. He wondered why; it was nothing to be ashamed of in his culture.

"I'm goin' ta git cleaned up and dressed. _By meself_," she stressed the last part. "I don'tta care what that pink bitch said. Both of ya keep yer distance from me." She grabbed the clothing, found the bathroom, and slammed the door.

"Well, that went well," Malcolm found himself saying. "I can't wait for round two."

TBC

**Okay, feedback time. What do you think? Please tell me!! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**Rated T**

**A/N: I have to really express my deep gratitude to LadyRainbow for all her help in aiding this story along. T'Pol and the ladies of **_**Enterprise**_** needed a way to be able to realistically come to the rescue of the menfolk, and to have that happen, they had to have some kind of ally. I had a whole bunch of possibilities and had a hard time picking who that ally should be. LadyRainbow kindly let me bounce ideas around with her and helped me make my final choice. I hope it meets with reader approval. Once I was able to run with the idea, it became really quite fun. So, this chapter takes readers back to what the ladies of **_**Enterprise **_**are doing while the men are prisoners of the Arterminians. I also threw in a little exchange between Archer and the Arterminian queen, plus a short explanation of where some of the other male crew members ended up.**

**Please leave a review and let me know what you think of my choice of an ally and if it works. Feedback is such an important thing to a writer, so please give me just a little. Thanks and enjoy! Another chapter will follow very shortly. :)**

**Oh, and to the new readers and reviewers, I just want to say, you guys rock!!!!**

**Chapter 7**

**Enemy of My Enemy**

T'Pol had called an emergency meeting of all those crew members who were left aboard the _Enterprise_, when it became painfully obvious that all the men had been taken, expect for Dr. Phlox. It appeared that Major Donnelly was the only woman who was missing. That meant that only a little over twenty people, plus a few MACO women, remained to run the entire starship, and _Enterprise _was meant to have a much larger crew than that. T'Pol organized and assigned four or five responsibilities each to every crew member available to cover the basics of keeping the starship in working order.

Hoshi, Corporal McKenzie, Corporal Cole, Lieutenant Hess, and Crewman Cutler assisted T'Pol in making the assignments and putting people where they would do the most good or be the most beneficial. The new command structure seemed to gravitate toward the six women, in the absence of a good number of the senior staff. Everyone fell in line and accepted the new set up without too much complaint. Everyone wanted to get the men back and felt that T'Pol and those around her would be capable of accomplishing the task. It helped to have that to believe in; it was better than the alternative thought.

Hoshi could not believe what had happened. She could understand the Arterminians kidnapping a handful of the crew or a few of the men, but not _all _of them. She silently wondered if Phlox felt left out, then quickly squashed that thought because it was so ridiculous; he was probably grateful not to be their prisoner. Hoshi wondered why they didn't take Phlox. Did the Arterminians only want human males because they were something new? Had they had there fill and experience with Denobulan males and didn't want another one? Or had they over looked Phlox somehow? It was an odd omission on the Arterminians part Hoshi thought.

And why did they take Major Donnelly? That made no sense to Hoshi either. The young communications officer was very appreciative of the calm and efficient Vulcan manner with which T'Pol handled the crisis. Her example of coolness under fire and grace under pressure stemmed the panic that had wanted to break out and spread over the women left aboard the ship.

Now it was time to address some of their major problems. "The Arterminians shorted out our long range communications capabilities," Hoshi informed the new makeshift command crew. "So contacting Starfleet or the Vulcan High Command is out of the question until repairs are made."

"Lieutenant," T'Pol said addressing Anna Hess, one of Trip's best engineering team members, "appoint a repair team to handle the needed repairs to the long range communications equipment. Those repairs must be a top priority. It is imperative that we find away to call for assistance."

"Yes, ma'am," Hess replied swiftly. "I'll get on it right away." She hurriedly left the situation room, at the back of the bridge, to do just that.

"Our next priority should be planning a rescue mission," Corporal McKenzie thought aloud.

"By ourselves?" Liz Cutler said and looked at her incredulously.

T'Pol responded before McKenzie could. "Of course not, Crewman, that would be illogical at this point. One ship against an armada would not succeed."

Corporal Cole jumped in next. "What about finding some allies in this region of space? Couldn't we find a friendly species that would be willing to help us out?"

Hoshi liked that idea, but didn't have much hope for it. "The only real presence out here is the Orion Syndicate, and I don't think we want to go another round with them," she informed the other women.

"What about Andorians or Tellerites? Hell, even Klingons would be welcome at this point," McKenzie inquired.

"Those would be the most appealing and agreeable choices, but we do not know for certain how to locate any of them," T'Pol pointed out.

Liz had a suggestion. "Why not just broadcast a general distress call and see who picks it up and comes to our aid."

"That could be very dangerous, Elizabeth," Dr. Phlox spoke up for the first time. He was still considered part of the new command structure. "We don't know who would answer it. We are extremely vulnerable right now, with many systems down and so little man power. And we have learned from bitter experience that not every species we come across is trustworthy. Someone could take advantage of our situation if we are not careful."

Hoshi tried not to laugh at Phlox's phrasing about their low number. He was not trying to say they were weak because of the lack of males, but because of the lack of people. It just came out wrong. Language was so much fun sometimes.

"Ensign Sato and I will research the Vulcan database for any possible allies in this region," T'Pol said decisively. "Once we find some that meet our criteria, then we can discuss our options. We can hypothesize that the Arterminians have returned to their system and home world. It will not be difficult to locate them and our missing crew members, but our rescue plan must be sound and strategic if it is going to be successful. Meanwhile, we must keep the ship operational and repair the damaged systems." Everyone nodded in agreement, and they were dismissed.

Sergeant Ellen Bates, one of Major Donnelly's new MACO's, was manning Lieutenant Reed's position at Tactical. She watched her console beep a warning at her, and then saw the information about an alien vessel dropping out of warp and approaching them scroll across her screen. Long range sensors were on the fritz too, or she would have detected the ship sooner. Her cursed under her breath, and called out to T'Pol, "Commander, we've got company. There's an alien vessel stalking us."

Hoshi quickly took her com post, while T'Pol went to her science station. As acting captain she should have taken her position in the center chair, but they were short-handed right now, so she manned her original post herself. She swiftly, but thoroughly, scanned the alien ship and ran a comparison in the Vulcan database and _Enterprise's_ own database to try and identify the vessel. It took only a matter of seconds for the ship's computer to give T'Pol an answer, for the alien vessel was one the _Enterprise_ and her crew had encountered before. It was Harrad-Sar's barge.

T'Pol helped Hoshi project a visual of it up on the viewing screen. The pod-shaped, yet sleek-looking, Orion vessel appeared in larger-than-life technicolor before them. "Commander, three more ships have dropped out of warp with it. They're Interceptor-class Orion fighters," Sergeant Bates reported, as she too used the computer to give her a faster identification.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Liz Cutler announced gravely.

"It couldn't really be Harrad-Sar and his friends, could it?" Hoshi looked askance at T'Pol.

"Apparently, it is, Ensign," was the Vulcan woman's reply.

Corporal Cole came to stand next to T'Pol at her science station. "Not these guys again," she moaned.

"Hey, look on the bright side," Corporal McKenzie chimed in from behind Bates, "this time there's no men for them to seduce. Except maybe the good doctor," she added with a slight smile in Phlox's direction.

"I'm more worried about them taking our ship from us," Cole responded, her worry evident in her tone.

Hoshi broke into their conversation. "We're being hailed," she said as calmly as possible. "It's Navaar," she added in shock. It really _was_ the group of Orions that they had dealt with before. This was just great; it was all they needed right now.

T'Pol let Liz take over for her at her science station, and she walked to the center chair. "Put her through, Ensign. They have us outnumbered and outpowered. It is useless to resist at this point. It may be fruitful to see what they want," she said with equanimity, but it was taking a whole lot of ingrained Vulcan training to sound that way.

Navaar's stunningly lean and green form materialized on the view screen. She had rich, thick, long, black hair, sparkling sapphire blue eyes, full dark lips, and a body that most human women would kill to have. "Greetings, crew of the _Enterprise_. It is so nice to see you again," she purred. "Although, it seems that your better halves are missing. Such a pity, human males are so stimulating."

Hoshi rolled her eyes in disgust, Liz Cutler almost gagged, the MACO women scowled, and Dr. Phlox smiled his ridiculously wide smile. Even T'Pol found herself having to count to ten before she answered the Orion female. "It is agreeable to see a familiar face," was how T'Pol chose to respond. "You are obviously aware of our misfortune."

As Navaar replied, T'Pol caught sight of Harrad-Sar, sitting in his big chair, behind the Orion female. Though he was seated, he was still an imposing figure. He was a large male Orion, not really so much as fat as muscular, like a body builder or old-fashioned human professional wrestler. Navaar gave a little pout, which would have turned any man into a puddle at her feet, as she said, "You have been done a grievous wrong. The Arterminians had no right to steal your men like that. We have come to offer our assistant in helping you get them back."

Hoshi's mouth dropped open in shock, and she just about fell out of her seat. She looked around and all the other women on the bridge had completely surprised expressions on their faces. Even T'Pol, the stoic Vulcan, blinked and widened her eyes at Navaar's pronouncement. "I must apologize," T'Pol said when she found her voice. "I do not think I heard you correctly. Would you please elaborate?"

D'Nesh stepped forward from somewhere off screen. She was slightly taller than her elder sister, but just as exotic looking. She was thinner and more wiry. D'Nesh giggled before she spoke. "If there is something wrong with your hearing, then perhaps you should have your adorable Dr. Phlox check it for you. I'm sure such a smart and good looking Denobulan such as he, could fix you right up."

T'Pol saw no humor in the Orion woman's comment, but Hoshi was trying her hardest not to laugh right out loud. Not that Phlox wasn't an attractive male; she had just never heard anyone gush over him like that, except Liz Cutler, but this sounded so contrived. Liz was gritting her teeth and shooting daggers with her eyes at D'Nesh.

"We really do want to help you get your men back, Commander T'Pol," Navaar said more seriously now, more business-like. "We have the three Interceptors with us, and we plan on rendezvousing with half a dozen marauders. That should be enough fire power to get the job done, along with your sturdy _Enterprise_."

"I must ask why you have chosen to offer us your help," T'Pol stated plainly.

"Yeah, what's in it for you?" Hoshi blurted out, unable to stop herself.

Navaar turned her head ever so slightly to look at Hoshi. "The undying gratitude of your captain, I'm hoping," she said with glee. "We didn't part under very good circumstances, and I really want to change that."

T'Pol and Hoshi saw where this was going. "Then the Captain Archer will be in your debt, and you plan to exact something of value from him in return," T'Pol reasoned.

"Archer did cripple my ship and cost me a lot of profit in repairs," Harrad-Sar said, finally joining in. Navaar was gracious enough to step to the side for a moment so the _Enterprise_ crew could see him better. "I _am_ a businessman after all. Our encounter left me on the outs with the Orion Syndicate. Striking a blow against the Arterminians in this way would put me back in good standing with them." His voice was gruff and low.

Now, T'Pol understood what was going on here. "The Arterminians are your chief rivals in this area of space," she said it as a statement and not a question. "You feel like they are encroaching on your territory. You want to use this incident to exact retribution on them."

Harrad-Sar smiled a big and charming smile. "You Vulcans are always very quick on the uptake, aren't you?" He had not expected T'Pol to answer him. "You are correct in your assessment of the situation, Commander. The Arterminians are the Syndicate's fiercest competitors. They gouge heavily into our profits with stunts like this one, and they interfere wickedly with our commerce. The Syndicate has a large investment in this region of space and we cannot allow the Arterminians to get away with this."

"And so our offer to help you," Navaar said, stepping forward again, cutting Harrad-Sar off. "Plus the added bonus of having your captain owe us a favor," she added coyly.

"I don't like this," Corporal McKenzie stated firmly. "Why should we trust you?"

"You don't seem to have much of a choice right now," D'Nesh informed her.

"This offer is a one time deal," Navaar then said, her tone darker. "Refuse it, and it won't be offered again."

T'Pol knew this was trouble with a capital T, but what other logical choice did they have? They desperately needed help, and now here it was. "Your argument is a logical one," T'Pol finally said.

"Commander, you can't really want to get into bed with the Orions do you?" Hoshi found herself demanding, and then she realized what she had said. She blushed furiously red and wanted nothing more than to sink into the deck plating. That was the Orion females' specialty after all.

Navaar had an evil grin on her face now. "If you want services from us that can be arranged. We can understand that with your men gone, your needs are not being met."

Liz Cutler had to turn around to keep the Orions from seeing how hard she was laughing. She was doing it silently, but her whole body shook. Corporals Cole and McKenzie had very bemused expression and were trying to suppress their own mirth. It took Phlox a moment to catch the double meaning, but once he did, his ghastly huge grin appeared again. T'Pol was unmoved. This whole situation was ludicrous to her.

"That was not what Ensign Sato meant," the Vulcan explained. "She was merely stating, in her very human way, that she does not think it is a good idea to become your business partners."

"I see," was all Navaar said, still grinning devilishly. "Let me sweeten the deal for you in another way then. We know more about the Arterminians than any other species out here. We know their strategies, their tactics, how they operate, their weapons systems, what they would do with your males, and how they do business. Our knowledge alone is very valuable to you. For instance, they use a control chip that they imbed in their properties' necks. If they are not disabled when you rush into rescue them, they can be used to kill your men. They are similar to the implants we use, so we know how to disable them."

"You would really be willing to share your intricate knowledge with us?" Dr. Pholx couldn't help but ask.

Maras, the third sister, popped into view. She was the more wild looking of the three sisters. Her height was in between the others, and her body was lithe and sensuous. "We have a lot of intricate knowledge we'd like to share with you, Doctor." Her voice dripped with honey.

Despite himself, Phlox felt himself warm at her comment. He wouldn't mind getting to know any of them more fully. A nasty glare from Liz, snapped him instantly out of that state of mind. T'Pol decided to take back control of the situation.

"Again, your argument is logical," she said. "You _do_ possess knowledge that we need and the fire power that we lack." She took a deep breath and looked at each woman on the bridge. "We will accept your offer, but it will be done as a legal business transaction. You will sign a contract outlining exactly how you will assist us and what we will owe you in return. If your terms are found to be unreasonable, we will terminate our partnership. If you try and alter any part of our agreement, it will be terminated."

Harrad-Sar spoke again. "Spoken like a true businesswoman. I think all that can be arranged."

"We will contact you again shortly," Navaar then said. "We will consult with the Syndicate on the matter." With that the screen went dark.

"Tell me we just didn't make a deal with the devil," Corporal McKenzie grumbled.

"And let's hope that we haven't sold him our souls," Corporal Cole added.

* * *

Captain Jonathan Archer was pacing as much as the chain around his neck would allow him to pace. It was fairly long and gave him more movement than he would have thought, but he hated being chained up at all. It wasn't right; it wasn't moral. The whole slavery idea sickened him to his core. He was worried about his crew. Were they all right? And what about Mai? Was she all right? What were these horrid aliens doing to her? How could he find a way to see her? How could he find a way to see any of his crew? He was going mad with questions and what ifs.

Archer knew he had to come up with plan to get out of here and get the rest of his people back to the _Enterprise_. They were his responsibility; he had to protect them. Machaon had found a way to escape, so it was possible. Archer just had to keep his eyes and ears open and exploit any weaknesses he found. He needed to find a way to locate and contact any of the senior staff: Malcolm, Trip, or Travis. The Captain knew their strength would be in numbers if he got as many of the male crew together as he could. Maybe he could find a sympathetic Arterminian female and convince her to help him. All women on this planet couldn't like the way they treated their men; there had to be some who opposed the harsh and animalistic treatment. And there was always the possibility that some of the other male slaves that weren't native Arterminians, those that remembered their lives before their capture, who would be anxious to escape.

Being in the queen's personal chambers wasn't bad as far as accommodations went. Her rooms were built for extravagance and luxury. Everything was done in purples, silvers, golds, and creams. Big, fluffy pillows littered the bed and couches. One wall was all mirrors, and another was all windows, letting sunlight or moonlight stream in when the plush curtains weren't drawn. Her bed was large enough to sleep at least five people. It was set at the back of the rooms, up on a raised platform. The bathroom was enormous and all marble and crystal. The outer rooms were more for guests and entertaining, working on hobbies, or just enjoying a relaxing moment, but the inner rooms were more private and intimate.

The queen's guards were never far away. Some were stationed outside the rooms and some were stationed in the rooms, some outside on the balcony, and some by the windows. They took her safety and security very seriously. Malcolm would have been proud at their efficiency and forethought. As Archer thought about his Chief of Security, he felt a pang of guilt for getting his crew into this terrible situation.

When the Captain looked up from his pacing, there she was, Hippolyta. She was in a simple, white gown that complimented her ample curves and long legs. Her hot pink skin seemed to glow. Her long, blonde hair was down in luscious waves. She was very beautiful, but she reminded him of Mai, and that made his heartache even worse. He knew he was staring, and he had to tear his eyes away. He did not want to encourage her toward anger or interest.

"My, you are a sight, Archer," she told him in a hushed voice. He had been allowed to bath and clean himself up. He had been able to shave and even got a slight hair cut, but he was still only allowed to wear, short, tight, dark brown, leather pants.

"It's Jonathan actually," he corrected her gently. "Archer is a surname. My first name is Jonathan."

She smiled warmly at him; it was a nice change. "I like Archer," she informed him.

He just shrugged in response, not wanting to argue. She came up to him, stopping mere inches from him. Reaching out with one hand, she caressed his face tenderly. He could see the wonder in her eyes. He was a new toy or pet to her, and that excited her, but it made him damn uncomfortable. Part of him wanted to lean into that caress and the pleasure it represented, but another part of him hated and resented it. How was he going to get through this?

"Can I ask you a question?" he inquired tentatively.

"Certainly," she replied. "What do you wish to know?"

"Are my people all right? What is happening to them? Will I be able to see any of them? What about Major Donnelly? What is happening to her?" he stopped suddenly, realizing he was inundating her with questions.

She laughed at him; it was a musical sound, pure amusement. "That's much more than _a_ question," she told him with mock sternness. "You humans really care about one another's welfare, don't you?"

"They are my crew," he said simply. "They're like family."

Hippolyta seemed touched by his sentiment, and surprised by it. "I don't know the fate of each one of your species, but they will all get good homes, I assure you that. As for Major Donnelly, she will be well looked after. Lydia has seen something in her that makes her special, worthy to be called one of us. If our goddess is willing, she will be found to be, and she will join us."

"What if she doesn't want to, join you that is?" he asked, having a hard time concentrating on the conversation as the queen began to trail her finger tips up and down his bare arm.

"Why would she not want to?" Hippolyta countered. "It is the highest honor we can bestow on a woman."

Archer tried to say what he felt he needed to say as carefully as possible. "It is the highest honor in your culture, but it might not be considered such in _all_ cultures."

Hippolyta grew thoughtful for a moment. "That may be true, but once we open other women's eyes, they learn to value it as we value it." Then she changed subjects. "If you promised to behave, I can release you from your neck chain."

"Yes, please," he replied eagerly. "I'll behave."

She slid her arms and hands up his back and around his neck. A small key appeared in her hand and unlocked the collar at his throat. Every movement she made sent chills up and down his spine, and not in a bad way. He had to keep her talking and not touching.

"What does Major Donnelly have in store for her, to become one of you?" he asked and slowly stepped back from Hippolyta's warm body. She smelled like honeysuckle, very sweet.

He could tell he was frustrating the queen, both with his constant questioning about Mai, and his resistance of her advances. He was not acting like her typical male slave, he guessed. "Why all this concern for Major Donnelly? Your interrogation of me centers on her suddenly. Is she your mate?"

That took Archer aback and caused him to blush, a deep read. "No, she's not my wife," he said. _But I wish like hell she was_, he thought to himself. He decided to go with the truth and see where that got him. "She was – is – a good friend. I haven't seen her in years; our careers took us in different directions. She was only assigned to my ship a few days ago. This was her first time out in deep space, and it was the first time I'd seen her in a long time." He knew he sounded wistful, and he wanted to smack himself because of it.

Hippolyta picked up on it right away. "You've missed her," she said, really looking at Archer for the first time in the eye. "You care deeply about her, don't you?" The thought seemed foreign to her, but extremely fascinating.

"We were best friends for a very, long time, so yes, I care deeply about her," he said honestly.

"A man and a woman 'best friends'?" she said in confusion. "How is that possible? Men and women are too unequal to be friends."

Archer shook his head sadly at her. "Not where I come from. Men and women treat each other as equals and can be very good friends."

Again, he saw a wonder and awe in her eyes, but then they hardened just a bit. "Well, then both of you will have a lot of unlearning to do. You've been living under a falsehood for a long time. You will be made to see things as they really are. I was going to go alone in a few minutes to watch Lydia test the major's physical strength, but now I think I will take you with me. We will both see how she measures up." She didn't tell him the real reason she wanted him to watch the human female's training. Hippolyta wanted to observe his reaction to this female of his species. Then the queen changed the subject once more. "Come help me prepare for the outing. We can begin your reeducation that way."

The Captain didn't fight her; right now it was best to play along and continue to look for weaknesses. He would find them come hell or high water. He would not live like this for a second longer then he had too. Archer's worry for Mai burned brighter inside him. Could she endure the Arterminian testing? He sure hoped so. At least, he would get to see her, and that made things a little more bearable.

* * *

Trip and Travis found themselves picked out of a line of _Enterprise _men to be given as gifts by the queen to the chief of her personal guard. The woman was tall and purple in color, with coal black hair. Her golden eyes looked them over hungrily and made them want to squirm under her gaze. Fortunately, she didn't have time for new play things, her duties of providing the queen with security and protection taking up too much of her time. And there were the duties of training and drilling those she commanded. Cyrene decided to send them down to the queen's kitchens for the time being. She figured it would help tame them and keep them out of her hair until she was ready to break them in herself.

Although working in the kitchen was not either man's favorite thing, they could think of a lot worse places to be assigned. Travis really did enjoy the small moments when Chef, aboard _Enterprise_, let him help with a special dish once in a while. Chef usually made it fun and was a good listener and advice giver. Also, being a Boomer, he was used to making him and his family dinner when he needed to. Trip had spent a lot of time in his Grandma Tucker's kitchen watching her and assisting her in meal preparation, so he felt he could handle himself all right.

"At least we won't starve," Trip had joked to Travis, who just rolled his eyes at the Southern's attempt to look on the bright side.

Sergeant Kemper's boyish good looks got him chosen by Lydia, the culprit of this whole damn mess, to be her personal slave. Not that Nate didn't find Lydia attractive, but she scared him. He was a tough military man through and through, but Lydia seemed like a harsh and unforgiving taskmaster. There was no telling what she would do to him, and the damn pain chip made it risky and suicidal to fight back. He so hoped he could find a way to have contact with Major Donnelly or Captain Archer. They had to find a way off this rock.

Corporal Chang was given to the queen's game master. He, along with many of the other MACO men, were to be trained to fight other male slaves and would battle strange alien animals, like gladiators, for the queen and her courtiers' amusement. The only upside Chang saw to any of this placement was that he and the other MACOs, with the exception of Kemper, were together and could strategize on how to escape their imprisonment. They also were in a good position to feel out other male slaves and see who might be willing to join them in a fight for their freedom.

Many of the other male crew members were sold to those who organized and planned the hunts used to train young Arterminian females how to become warriors and master hunters. These men were not as lucky as some of the others. If someone didn't do something soon, many of them would be dead before too long. Still other male crew members were set aside to be sold as household slaves to middle class and well-to-do families that could afford them, but they had to be domesticated first. They were held all together in a jail-like facility, where they would be reeducated to their new roles in Arterminian society. If they couldn't adapt, they would be killed.

Hippolyta had lied to Captain Archer; not all of his crew would be getting a happy home. Every member of the senior staff, the MACOs, and the regular crew knew how imperative it was that they either break out or be rescued sooner rather than later. The longer they were here, the less chance they would have of ever leaving this planet alive and sane.

TBC

**Okay, it's your turn to participate. You know what to do. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**Rated T: For some violence and romance.**

**A/N: I did promise another chapter shortly, so here it is. In this chapter Mai is put through her first test by the Arterminians. And like the title implies, she is going to be distracted by many things, especially a new man in her life. Will he beat Archer to the punch and win her affection? Malcolm will find an ally and start plotting the crew's escape as well. I kind of flipped back and forth from the main view point of the story to how Archer is seeing things unfold during Mai's test, so I used a bold horizontal line to break up the changing points of view for that part. Hopefully, that will keep the flow of the story clear and understandable.**

**Once again reviews are highly sought after by this author and are considered of great value, so please leave some. Read and enjoy!!! This was a really fun chapter to write!!**

**Thanks again to LadyRainbow, who is the most awesome beta out there!!!**

**Chapter 8**

**Distractions**

The big, yellow sun beat down on the training field, causing sweat to run off those combating in the center ring. Major Mairead Donnelly was exhausted to the point of collapse, but her opponent wasn't showing any hint of letting up on her. Blow after blow, strike after strike, kept coming her way, and she did everything she could to block them and fight back. Lydia was very good; she fought like a lioness. Mairead was pulling out every fight move any of her combat training instructors had taught her, especially the ones from Matthew Hayes. She had also picked up other moves and techniques from the men and women she had served with, and even some of the enemies she had fought over her time spent as a MACO.

Right now, Lydia was coming after her with two thick, wooden sticks wrapped in black leather, called Chobos, and she was twirling them in tandem, in opposite directions, and then one after the other. She was a blur of speed and confidence; she must have been taught from birth how to use these unique weapons, they were so much a part of her. Mairead caught on quickly on how to use the Chobos because they were very similar to the batons that all MACOs carried, except these were wood and not metal, and they didn't have the stun or shocking effect that the MACO batons had.

Mairead's honey blond hair was almost brown; it was soaked so wet with her perspiration, even though she had it back in a thick braid. This was the workout from hell. Lydia held absolutely nothing back, and on many occasion she had landed a painful hit. Mairead's bottom lip was bleeding and so was her nose. She had split skin above her right eye as well. She was sure she would have bruises that covered her arms, legs, and torso, but she was still standing. She was not going to give up, no matter what. Anger and fierce determination, along with a rush of adrenaline were fueling her. Strangely, she was finding that she was able to channel the anger, giving her added focus and concentration, instead of striking out in a blind rage.

She wasn't used to fighting in the black leather halter top and battle skirt either. She was trying to not let that distract her from the task at hand; staying one step ahead of Lydia's attacks. Mairead was also trying not to dwell on the fact that a bunch of royal couturiers were watching her intently, along with the Arterminian queen, Hippolyta. There were also many male slaves who were observing the fight; it didn't help that they all were scantly clad, like Reed and Tam had been. There was a lot of nice male flesh, of all colors, around. Mairead had never been one to let a man's physical appearance really affect her, unless she wanted it to, but these men seemed to be pushed right in her face. And it didn't hurt that the Arterminians seemed pick very fine specimens to flaunt around.

She had called upon her MACO military discipline to keep her thoughts straight and on the one thing that mattered: survival. The strict military mindset was working, until Mairead caught sight of something - someone - that blew her concentration to hell. Jonny was sitting at the feet of the queen, looking as miserable as she had ever seen. Relief washed through her at knowing that he was at least alive. It didn't surprise her that he had caught the eye of the Arterminian queen; his body was still the strong and lean figure she remembered. She stared at him long enough that Lydia saw her hesitation and pounced.

The mauve and dark haired Arterminian woman's Chobos both struck home, hitting Mairead once in each temple. She crumpled to the ground, seeing stars and her vision threatening to go black. The sharp pain hit a second later, and Mairead found herself crying out.

"You lost your focus, Major," Lydia taunted. "That is not a good thing for a warrior to do. I must say you have lasted longer than any other species I've have tested, expect maybe a Klingon female. I have to admit that you are skillful and have an inner strength this is surprising. I think you are a genuine candidate to join us."

Mairead wanted to tell the gloating woman to go to hell, but her head hurt so badly she couldn't make a reply. Her body, now that it was down, didn't want to get back up; it had been abused too much to do so. She so wished that unconsciousness would come, but it didn't.

"I've never seen you push a female so hard," came the queen's strong, but soft voice. "You may have been too rough this first time out. I do not want her damaged and incapacitated. You will give her time to recuperate and enjoy the finer side of our lifestyle before you test her again. She's more than proved how much of a warrior she truly is."

Lydia frowned at this rebuke from her monarch, but lowered her Chobos and backed away from Mairead. "I apologize for being over zealous, my queen. She is the first real challenge I've had to face in a long time."

"Understandable, First Commander, but I warn you to be careful," the queen commanded. "Let her men take care of her now. Get her something nourishing to eat and let her relax in luxury."

"Yes, my queen," Lydia replied and hurried to fulfill her queen's order.

* * *

 Archer's stomach finally stopped churning, now that the queen had stopped the horrid battle. It had taken everything he had in him not to rip himself from the queen's grip and go to Mai's aid, but he knew, however, how useless and stupid that stunt would be. It would get both he and Mai punished. As Mai had fought, he was mesmerized by her talent and competency. He knew she was good, knew of her reputation, but he had never seen her in action like this. He was proud of her and scared for her all at the same time. He was so relieved when the queen had called an end to the torture.

He didn't miss the things the queen had said about letting Mai now enjoy the finer side of Arterminian lifestyle, and that she would have men to attend to her. A hot, liquid-like feeling flowed through him at the thought of any man, but him touching her. He realized he was jealous; hell he'd been terribly jealous of Tom Branson, her late husband. He hated that Mai and he were separated like this and in the positions they were in.

The Captain felt a little bit better when he noticed that Lieutenant Malcolm Reed seemed to be one of the men chosen to attend to Mai. That meant two things to him: one, Malcolm was alive and well, plus he was close at hand, and two, he would be respectful to Mai and keep her safe. He felt confident that Reed wouldn't let another man touch her against her will. Mai wasn't the type of person to accept advances of a man she'd just met; she'd refuse the "luxury" they would try and offer her. If they didn't take no for an answer, Reed would be there to put a stop to it. Archer let out a breath he even didn't realize he'd been holding. His new found assurance was quickly dashed, however, as he saw and heard the next orders from Lydia.

* * *

 When Malcolm went to help Mai up and check her over for serious injury, Lydia forcefully stopped him by yanking him back roughly by his arm. "Not you," she informed him. "You are not tame enough yet and are not properly instructed on how to serve her. I also feel your connection to her by being from the same species and ship makes you too close to the situation. I will have some of our other males show you how to prepare a meal for her. That is how you will be of service. Andrus will see to her other needs."

Malcolm wanted to argue with her something fierce, but she must have seen the defiance in his eyes, for she fingered her gauntlet cuff threateningly. While he had fought against his imprisonment earlier, as they were injecting him with the control chip, it had been activated. Malcolm was well aware of the pain it would cause him. He was torn between helping the brave Major Donnelly and not getting zapped; he chose to help. Ignoring Lydia, Malcolm knelt down by Donnelly.

Lydia set off the control chip, sending blinding pain all throughout Malcolm's nervous system. He writhed in agony and fell to the ground. When the pain finally ended, Malcolm heard Lydia say, "You _will_ obey or you _will_ be punished again." He swallowed hard and grasped for breath. When he could, he backed away from Major Donnelly, sickened by his weakness, but he knew he would be of no use to Donnelly or his captain, whom he had seen briefly upon coming into the training field, if he was struck down with pain or killed because of it. He had to give into to Lydia's demands, for now.

As Andrus came forward, Malcolm gave him a look that would have sent the alien to the grave, if looks could kill. He made it clear that he didn't want Andrus to fulfill his entrusted duty. If the man was a telepath, he'd be able to hear the warning Malcolm was screaming at him in his mind; he was not to touch her. Andrus returned Malcolm's fiery gaze with understanding in his eyes. He got Malcolm's message loud and clear.

Mairead was still lying on the ground, holding her head in her hands. Andrus knelt down beside her. A dark maroon, male Arterminian servant rushed forward with water, towels, and a hypospray, probably with an analgesic of some sort in it. Andrus carefully and gently tended to Mairead's wounds with the towels and water. He also gave her some water to sip, and administered the hypospray. When he was satisfied with his work, he scooped her up in his strong arms and left to carry her to her quarters. Andrus was flanked by two other male Arterminian servants and four Arterminian female guards. Malcolm struggled with letting them walk away.

Malcolm was directed to follow other Arterminian male servants in the direction of the kitchens. Cooking was not his thing; this was going to be a nightmare. Right now he had no choice, but later, he would not forget what he was being made to do and what he was being prevented from doing. He felt like he had abandoned Major Donnelly, and it angered him that he had been so cowardly. Sometimes pain was a powerful motivator to become one. That thought didn't make him feel any better, in fact, it made him feel worse.

* * *

 Archer was stunned to see someone that looked like a human male tend to Mairead's injures and then carry her off the training field, and to see his security chief struck down so viciously for only trying to help. He was sure the human-looking male wasn't anyone from his crew; he knew all their names and faces. Had the Arterminians somehow captured other humans before him and his crew? That thought really disturbed him. How many innocent Boomers or colonists could have fallen under the Arterminians lash without Earth knowing about it? If he and his crew weren't the first humans captured by these aliens, what did that mean? How long had the Arterminians known about humans, and how long had they been planning this grand abduction?

He did not get time to dwell on any of his thoughts for long, for the queen jerked the chain around his neck and summoned him to her. He was going to be taught how to prepare a meal for her and feed her. He gulped as he realized what might be expected of him after the meal. He had a feeling he was supposed to be dessert, and that was downright terrifying. He had to find a way to stall the queen's affections, find a way to get her to talk and share information with him, instead of sharing other things. He prayed his diplomatic skills would aid him in that task; otherwise he was in big trouble.

* * *

 Andrus eased Mairead's beaten body into the hot water of the bath as gently as he could. He had tried, for her sake to keep her as modest as he could, as he undressed her from the training gear and got her into the behemoth tub of bubbling liquid. He covered her with a towel for as long as he could, then the bubbles and water gave her the coverage she needed. He did this all because he could tell by her thoughts and feelings how mortified she would be to be exposed before him, a strange and unknown man. He thought her fear and embarrassment were rather silly; Betazoids got married in the buff, and nakedness was something that was celebrated. But his respect and admiration after watching her do battle with Lydia had caused him to want to follow her wishes, even if she hadn't spoken them out loud. And Lieutenant Reed's mental warning was still fresh in his mind as well.

The Betazoid wasn't trying to read Mairead's mind, but his telepathic and empathic ability was so honed and strong that he could pick up people's surface thoughts very easily. Sometimes it took a lot more effort to block them out than to let them in. Humans appeared to have no mental shields either, to prevent someone from entering their mind; they were open books to him. He also wanted to know as much about this species as possible without being invasive, so he skimmed those thoughts that were not too deep in their minds. This allowed him to pick up useful information and technically not break his people's ethical code.

Mairead was neither unconscious nor asleep, but she definitely was a little disoriented. Despite the instruction had he been given in how to pleasure an Arterminian woman, he was not a male who liked to use women that way. He had always enjoyed a deeper connection to someone he'd chose to mate with, and that hadn't happened that often to him before his captivity. He took physical enjoyment out of his time with the females of this planet, but that was all, and that got old. It was starting to eat at him, the meaninglessness of it all. He, like most of his kind, was looking for his _imzadi_, a beloved lifetime partner that he could form a strong psychic bond with. He was not going to find her among these ruthless, merciless, vile harlots, that was for sure.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her, his voice soothing and calm. "Any better, Mai?" He said her name tenderly; he liked how it sounded when he used it.

She just groaned a response and blinked rapidly at him. He could tell her muscles were cramping up; all the minerals and electrolytes she had lost sweating in the heat. Why they had to do the testing in the middle of the day, he didn't know; maybe it was more of an endurance test that way. A tray with a pitcher of light red liquid had been left on a table in the main part of the bedroom. He quickly went and poured Mairead a glass, came back, and made her sip it slowly.

Soon after he had gotten a whole glass down her, she seemed to perk up a bit. "Wow," she commented. "What's in that stuff?"

"A heavy concentration of energy restoring nutrients, I believe," Andrus answered her. He was sitting by her head on the raise side of the tub. He was glad to see her come back to herself. He had thought that Lydia's strikes to her head had been pretty severe.

He watched as she tried to slowly shift herself in the water to be in a more comfortable position. She grimaced in pain as her leg muscles cramped up on her again. "Ow, that really hurts," she moaned.

"Here let me help with that," Andrus offered, sliding his hand into the heated water and pulling one of her legs out.

He rested it on his own thigh and knee as he started to massage the muscles in her foot, then her calf, working his way up her leg. Each place he rubbed and kneaded loosened up and the pain faded. Mairead sighed as the relief came; he sure knew what he was doing. His hands were warm against the coolness she felt from her limb being out of the water. His touch was so expert; it felt wonderful, and Mairead felt a fuzzy tickle spread through her body from where he touched her leg. He put the leg back in the water, went searching for her other one, and then he did the same thing to it. When he was finished, he let that leg slip back into the bath.

"Better?" he asked considerately.

"Yes, much," she said a bit breathlessly. She had honestly not wanted him to stop touching her, for now her muscles felt like melted butter. She realized he was staring into her eyes. His irises were so dark, almost as dark as his pupils, but they were kind eyes, friendly eyes. Andrus was captivated by hers; they were so different from the constant golden ones he'd been looking into lately. Most of his people had the same eye color that he did, basically black, or really dark brown. Mai's were a soft, blue-gray, like a stormy ocean. He'd never seen such color, and it almost hypnotized him.

"Let's see about your neck and back, shall we?" he asked rhetorically. He knew she would be hurting in those places too. He didn't move immediately to continue his massage, though, because she was studying him, and he had to know what she thought of him. He peeked just under the surface of her thoughts to see if he could pick up any stray ones from her.

She was indeed thinking about him. _He has the darkest eyes I've 'ver seen, but they've such vitality in 'em; they're not cold or hard, maybe a little haunted. He has a strong jaw, high cheek bones, and a long, slightly bulbous nose, but it fits his face well. His lips are thin, but I bet he's a good kisser. His hair's really dark too. His chest's smooth and lean with a nice wave of muscle to it. His arms seem thick and strong. He's handsome in a very masculine way. He has a nice arse too._

He couldn't help but smile as she took stock of him; he was thrilled she found him to her liking. He really was finding her to his liking too. For once he wasn't dreading the woman to whom he'd been assigned. This human woman was enchanting him from head to toe. He watched her coloring go scarlet, like she'd realized he'd been reading her thoughts.

"Don't tell me that ya jist 'eard all that?" she queried, totally embarrassed. "I didn't mean ta make a list like that."

"I'm sorry I skimmed your surface thoughts," he apologized. "I shouldn't have, but I'm glad that I don't revolt you," he joked.

"Listen 'bout all this 'servicin' me' business, no offense, Andrus, but I don't--," she tried to explain.

Andrus cut her off. "I understand, Mai," he spoke her name again with tenderness. "It is nice to not have a female all over me for once. I'm fine with serving you in whatever way you're comfortable with. If you want physical pleasure, I'll provide it, or if you just want simple conversation, I'll provide that too. However, I'm afraid of what Lydia will say when she learns that you weren't satisfied."

Mairead just stared at him. He realized his mouth had run away with him. "That sounded really strange, didn't it? I didn't mean for it to sound that way. Please stop me before I completely make you hate me."

Suddenly, she laughed, a real, true amused laugh. "It's nice ta know that this situation makes ya uncomfortable too," she told him when her laughter faded.

"You're the first female in months that I feel safe around, if that doesn't sound ridiculous," he admitted. "I've never seen someone last that long against Lydia before and not be a big, scary Klingon woman. Not that I've personally had experience with a Klingon woman, but just from what I'm told, they're brutal." He was rambling again in his nervousness.

Mairead laughed once more at his awkwardness. It was nice to find out he was a pretty nice, ordinary guy. "I take it that ya don't really like yer job, then?" she had to ask him. "I thought bein' a love slave would be any man's fantasy," she teased him now.

"Maybe for some men it is," he responded lightly, "but not me. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it's great, but these females are very twisted and very mean. They are in it for their pleasure only. A man is just a means to an end for them. All right, now you're making me sound strange again. Why can't I express myself right to you? I'm usually very good with talking to people and come off more professional that this."

"Because ya don't haveta act around me," Mairead said suddenly serious. "Ya're lettin' down yer guard, and tryin' to express how ya really feel 'bout things."

She must have hit the nail fairly close to the head, for he stood and came around behind her, avoiding looking at her. She felt his hands start to caress her neck and shoulders, kneading them deeply. It felt so damn good that she forgot what she was saying. He leaned her forward a little to massage down her back as well. His touch seemed to electrify her. Tommy's touch had never felt like this; a little slice of heaven. Her husband had never made her feel like she going to float away. Jonny's touch had felt a lot like this, but this was still different, much more intense somehow.

"You're married?" Andrus blurted out. He had read her mind again, by accident. Her thoughts were so easy to pick up on. "Sorry, I did it again," he said contritely.

"It's okay," Mairead replied. "I don't think I have a good handle on me thoughts right now. I must be jist kinda throwin' 'em at ya. And I _was _married, but he died several months ago."

Andrus felt like an idiot now. What was wrong with him? He didn't usually act like this. "I'm so very sorry," was all he could say. He felt her heartache at her husband's loss; her deep loneliness without him, but underneath that was a sweet relief, a sense of being set free. That puzzled Andrus; she had married this Tommy, but didn't really truly love him. She'd cared for him, but she hadn't genuinely given her heart to him. And who was this Jonny she had such strong feelings for?

"I appreciate the sentiment," Mairead said quietly, very sober now. His hands and fingers continued their steady rubbing and kneading in her back and shoulders. She gave herself over that wonderful feeling his touch gave her. She let her head fall forward to give him greater access to her sore muscles.

He had to force himself to stop his ministrations; if he continued he'd want more from her. She was so beautiful and so full of life and light that he was falling under her spell. He wanted to wipe away the tragedy and hurt he sensed in her, but he didn't want to scare her away by letting his desires get out of hand. She was just starting to trust him.

"If Lydia needs some kinda proof that ya pleasured me, I can tell her in all honesty that ya have," Mairead suddenly said. "I've never enjoyed a massage more."

Andrus couldn't help but laugh now. "I wish all females were that easy to please. You might be able to make that work, but only once."

"Well, then will jist have to come up with some other excuse for the next time, right?" she replied.

"You are the strangest female of any species I have ever met, but in a good way," he added at the end. "You are so different from the Arterminians and the others they have paraded through here. I actually like you."

Mairead turned to look at him behind her. "Thanks," she said dryly. "I like you too."

Andrus was kneeling beside the tub now, his face inches from hers. "Would it really be such a bad thing if I _did_ want to pleasure you?" He was totally serious.

Mairead froze, but didn't turn away from him. She saw the heat in his gaze now and remembered she was naked in a tub of water. "Yes, it would be," she whispered. He felt her discomfort about the topic, but he picked up something else underneath that; a yearning to be with some she loved. It took the sting out of her answer to him.

At that moment the door to the bedroom banged open. Lieutenant Reed and his cooking instructors had arrived with the evening meal. The spell was broken and Mairead came back to her senses. She slid down in the tub to not feel so exposed. Andrus sensed her rising panic. "I'll leave you some sleeping attire on the sink. If you feel up to it, you can wash your body and hair. Then you can dry off and get dressed in private. After that, come out and let your friend fulfill his duty and feed you. That will save him from any punishment."

"Okay," was all Mairead could say, as he left her to herself. What had just happened? It had been a long time since she'd felt such a pull or attraction to a man. When she was married, she _was_ married and acted like it. Sure, she had from time to time pined for Jonny, but that was familiar; a known quantity. Her reaction to Andrus was something she hadn't expected. It wasn't that he was just good looking; it was that he was being so understanding about this ridiculous situation they'd been placed in. He was a good man – alien – whatever. She was not going to let this new development distract her from getting out of here, however. She would not let the Arterminians hold her or any of her people in slavery.

She set about washing her body and hair, while she listened to the men in other room, setting up her meal. Her stomach rumbled hungrily; she was starving she realized. The thought of Lieutenant Reed having to make it for her made her smile. It probably killed him to do it, but then she realized how unfair her amusement was. He was doing it to save himself the pain of punishment, and she should be grateful for his presence here on this alien world; she really couldn't ask for any better back up. He was her lifeline to the crew now. She still needed to apologize to him for their first meeting fiasco.

Mairead didn't know it when it happened, but in the middle of washing out her hair, she drifted off to sleep. Her body and mind refusing to go on a moment longer; she was burned out. The water was just the right temperature, and Andrus' massage had really relaxed her. She was roused again as strong hands finished rinsing her hair and pulled her easily from the tub. Someone else dutifully wrapped a towel around her and started to dry her off.

"You can go back to sleep, Mai," a strong male voice whispered in her ear. "Your Lieutenant Reed and I will take care of you and get you into bed. We can warm your food later when you've rested."

At the mention of Lieutenant Reed's name, Mai was fully awake. She knew it was Andrus that spoke, but she was not going to let them dress her and put her bed; that was too much. She would do it herself. "I can do that much. You two go back out in the other room," she insisted. Reed had the courtesy to be blushing a nice shade of red.

"We're just trying to make sure you didn't drown," Malcolm said to her, as if that were explanation enough. "You've been in here quite a while, and it worried us."

"Thanks lads, really," she told them and stood on her own two feet, making sure the towel was firmly in place. "I'm good now, really." Truthfully, she was barely keeping her head up, but she was not going to let either man see her totally nude. She couldn't help being a prude; she just wasn't comfortable with it. Even years in the military still didn't make her at ease with being naked in front of strangers.

"We'll be right outside," Andrus said and beckoned Reed to follow him. Malcolm did so reluctantly, worried at the major's condition. She looked glassy-eyed to him, and he had caught glimpses of all the purple bruises that covered her body. She was not in good shape.

Mairead managed to stumble into the nightgown Andrus had left out on the sink for her; he'd gotten her undergarments as well. Thanks goodness for small favors, and men that could read minds. This nightgown was silver in color and hit her just below her knees. The straps were thicker and held her more securely in place. It was still more revealing than she would have liked, but it was better than the previous one. After she was dressed, she braided her wet hair; she was too tired to dry it out completely.

She opened the bathroom door and teetered out into the main bedroom. Mairead noticed that there was the most delicious spread of food out on the room's main table; carefully laid out and now covered to be served to her later. Reed seemed to have followed directions well. She also noticed that it was just Reed and Andrus that were now in the room; all the other servants and guards had given them their privacy. The guards were, however, just outside the bedroom door, should they feel the need to intervene. Andrus caught her as she tripped over a rug. He was so warm and strong that it made her head swim even more than it was. He swept her up into his arms and walked her over to the four-posted, canopied bed. Lieutenant Reed kindly helped him get her settled and tucked in. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

"She took quite a beating today," Malcolm remarked to Andrus. "She's one tough lady to take it like she did. She proved her reputation to be true."

"What reputation would that be?" Andrus asked with fresh curiosity.

"She's the leader of a squad of MACOs - military commandos - called the 'Fighting Donnelly's', and they really know how to fight and win a battle. She's an expert soldier. Today, I saw her prove that fact," Malcolm explained.

Andrus picked up on a stray thought from Reed now. The lieutenant had just met the woman a few days ago. He had been excited and anxious at the same time to be serving with her in providing security for the starship he served aboard. Their first meeting had not gone well, both letting stubborn pride cloud their impressions of one another. It was all very intriguing. If Andrus hadn't seen her fight and almost beat Lydia today, he would never have guessed the sweet female before him was a soldier.

He wanted to question Malcolm more about her, but he didn't want to seem overly interested, at least not yet. Maybe later he could let more of his curiosity show, when these humans came to trust him. Right now he knew it would only fuel their suspicions of him. He was, after all, an unknown variable to the humans, and Reed seemed especially paranoid about strangers.

"I don't want to make her go through another session like she did," Malcolm went on. "She can't take on the responsibility for all of the crew that have been taken prisoner, but being the only female of interest to the Arterminians is forcing that situation. I saw our captain and commanding officer with the Arterminian queen. I have to find a way to talk with him."

"That shouldn't be too hard to manage, since you're both among the queen's household," Andrus remarked, trying to be nonchalant. "How many of your people did the Arterminians take?" he then asked.

"I think all of the male crew members abroad our ship, from the snippets of conversation I've been able to eavesdrop on," Malcolm said slowly. "The kitchens seem like a good place to pick up on scuttlebutt."

Andrus gave him a funny look at the use of Reed's last word. "Scuttlebutt?" he repeated.

"Gossip, rumors, the latest news," Malcolm elaborated with a smirk. "The men and women working in there seem to love to talk."

"It makes the work go faster when you're engaged in conversation," Andrus pointed out.

Malcolm smiled a real smile this time. "It seems that is a universal constant."

"How many men were taken then?" Andrus continued to question.

"Around sixty or so," Malcolm answered. "About two-thirds of the crew are men."

"That seems very ambitious, even for the Arterminians," Andrus said with a raise of his dark eyebrows. "Either they are very bored, or there is something about your species that really caught their attention. Can you think of anything about yourselves that would demand their scrutiny?"

Malcolm ran possibilities through his mind for a moment. That was a very good question; this Betazoid was more than he seemed, apparently. "I really can't thing of anything," he said at last. "We're relatively new out here, exploring space. Unless…" Malcolm's voice drifted off as an interesting thought occurred to him.

"Unless, what?" Andrus pressed him.

"Unless they don't like the new Coalition of Planets that Earth is spearheading," Malcolm spoke as realization dawned on him. "The more worlds we get to band together, them more of a threat we are to their raids and kidnappings. They don't want to see strength in numbers."

"So they decide to pick off your whole crew because you are only one of two starships from your world actually out here," Andrus finished for the lieutenant, reading Malcolm's surface thoughts again. "They think that they can scare your leaders back home enough that you won't send any more ships out into space and that you'll scrub the Coalition."

Malcolm eyed Andrus wearily. "Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking," he said in a low voice.

"Sorry, you are so easy to read, I can't help it sometimes," was Andrus' defense. "I'm only reading your surfaces thoughts, thoughts you are about to speak. I haven't gone any deeper, I swear, and I won't. You have my word."

"I don't know one thing about you or your species, why should I trust your word?" Malcolm now asked, a little angry.

Andrus sighed. "You have no reason to, but we do have a common goal. I want out of here and so do you. We stand a much better chance together than alone. You really think you can get out of here?" Andrus now asked, wanting to believe. He could feel the human's conviction and determination like a tangible thing.

"Bloody straight we can!" Malcolm echoed Mairead's passion earlier. "I've been turning over in my mind what it would take. I think I've come up with something that's plausible; that is, if you're willing to help. You'd get a chance to prove your sincerity."

Andrus consider Reed's words carefully. He did want out of this place in the worst way; he had just said so, but how willing was he really, to fight for his freedom? "Machaon tried to escape and failed. He was someone I considered a friend in this hell hole. Now he's dead," was how Andrus explained things to Reed.

"Well, he had no military/combat training, or secret operations training. Major Donnelly and I both do, plus the MACO men that were taken from _Enterprise. _We have around sixty or more humans that are willing to fight tooth and nail for their freedom. I'd say we have a much higher chance of success than Machaon and his small number of rebels did," Malcolm said, trying to be as persuasive as he could.

"True, your numbers and skills may be greater, but this species prides itself on their hunting, tracking, and combat skills," Andrus informed Malcolm. "What is it that you need from me exactly?"

Malcolm went and sat the end of the bed Mairead was sleeping in, attempting to not disturb her. Andrus followed and sat at the same end of the bed, but on the opposite side, facing Malcolm. "What we lack is a way to get some critical supplies and a way to coordinate our people's actions. You seem to be fairly well-trusted by the Arterminians; you have a great degree of mobility in where you go and what you do. You could find a way to sneak us the items we need, and if you know of any others you could trust; you could get messages to our people who are spread out all over the place."

"I think you're overestimating my abilities," Andrus said with a voice full of doubt. "I don't have that much mobility, and I do value my life. If I'm caught, I'm dead."

"The first thing we need to do is disable the control chips," Malcolm said. He took a deep breath. It was now or never to see if this alien was trustworthy. Malcolm had seen how he had treated Major Donnelly, with care and kindness. Something about him let Malcolm know he was a good person, which was odd, because Malcolm didn't trust easily or lightly; he was actually rather paranoid. If Andrus betrayed this first part of the plan, Malcolm would know whose side the alien was really on. And hopefully, the consequences of being caught doing this first little action would not be as severe as steps later on down the road.

"I can't argue with that idea, Malcolm." Andrus swallowed hard, but he had a strong look in his eyes, like he was starting to believe in what Malcolm was saying. "What do you need me to do to make that happen?"

"When I was down in the kitchens, I bumped into two other shipmates, a Commander Tucker and Ensign Mayweather. Tucker is our Chief Engineer and technology expert. Together we figured that a large electrical charge applied directly to the control trip, or area around the control trip, will short it out and neutralize it."

Andrus looked at Reed dumbfounded. "Wouldn't an electrical charge powerful enough to do that kill a person?"

"Not necessarily," Malcolm said hurriedly. "Commander Tucker believes that a jolt from a small and portable cardiac simulator would do the trick. It would hurt like a 'sonvabitch' – Commander Tucker's phrasing – but it wouldn't kill the person it was used on if applied the right way."

"And I take it you want me to try and get my hands on a cardiac stimulator?" Andrus replied catching on to where Malcolm was going with this. "I might be able to find one in an emergency kit," he went on after a long pause, thinking. "Sometimes a recreational animal hunt goes wrong, or someone wounds someone in their play battles and they need to revive them. They have them in several locations throughout the queen's residence."

Malcolm gave the Betazoid a small smile. "Get one and I'll test out on myself. If it works, then we can move on to phase two."

"I'm not going to promise anything, Malcolm, but I will try," Andrus said and looked over at the peacefully sleeping form of Mairead. He would try for her; he didn't want to see her killed or her soul destroyed by these evil monsters of a race. Humans seemed like a noble people to him so far. If they were really putting together a coalition of planets, maybe they were different from the many tyrannical species out there.

"That's all I can ask of you, my friend," Malcolm responded, and they shook hands to seal their partnership.

TBC

**Let your thoughts and opinions be known. Leave a review and make my day. Please!!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**Rated T: For some romance and language.**

**A/N: Since this is the one story I'm kind of writing as I go –although I do have some of it planned out in my mind – I'm more flexible with it. Some of my readers have been after me to have something happen between Archer and Mai, so I decided to write this little chapter around those requests. It still furthers the story, but it adds a little spice into the mix. Something does happen between Archer and Mai, but you'll just have to read and find out what it is. Also, Andrus is not going to sit on the sidelines either; he's after Mai's heart as well. Oh, and we can't forget about dear Malcolm either. So this chapter is about how complicated things can get between people. I hope readers like it. I know it gave my beta reader, LadyRainbow a good laugh, so maybe it will others too. Please drop me a line and let me know what you think. Reviews are so sweet to get. Thanks and enjoy!!!!**

**Chapter 9**

**Complications**

When Major Donnelly finally awoke from her deep slumber, she felt trapped. Her movement was restricted, not from restraints, but from the lack of available space. It was then that she realized that she was snuggled up in male flesh. Andrus slept on one side of her, and Lieutenant Reed slept on the other. Both of them had an arm wrapped around her, as if trying to hold her close to each of them; one from in front of her and the other from behind her. What in the hell? How had they gotten in this position? What had happened last night? Mairead's head spun with the possibilities. They were all at least still clothed. She remembered her bath, but not much after that.

She felt stiff, and she ached all over, from head to toe. The men's proximity was making her too warm as well. Mairead needed to remove herself from this sandwich situation as fast as she could. Her head was resting not the pillow as she thought it should be; instead, it was lying on Andrus' broad chest, and Lieutenant Reed's head was lying on her shoulder. Getting away from them was going to be tough. She didn't want to wake either one of them up and have to face them.

Mairead gently nudged Reed off her shoulder and shifted away from him. His head now found itself on her pillow, but she was almost on top of Andrus; that made her heart skip a beat. Despite her better judgment, she was attracted to the alien. She squashed those thoughts, and worked on slowly wiggling herself free of his grasp. Once she was loose, she attempted to slide off the end of the bed. Her sore body made it more difficult and more painful than normal, and she ended up falling onto the floor, taking Andrus with her. He tumbled out of bed as well, landing right on top of her. Mairead cursed as pain shot throughout her body; it didn't need this extra abuse.

Andrus was now wide awake and trying to figure out what was going on. The fall had startled him, but it happened too fast for him to cry out. Now he groaned as his body felt the consequences of gravity, and then he became conscious of someone underneath him. He and Mai were in a tangled heap on the floor. How had that happened? He instantly felt Mai's panic and her pain.

"Are you all right, Mai?" he asked gently. "What happened?"

"I-I-I was tryin' ta git outta bed, and I-I guess I fell," she said lamely. Mairead found herself staring into his deep brown eyes. A shiver of delight slowly made its way down her spine, taking the edge off her bodily discomfort. Her body was liking the feel of Andrus on top of her, and she felt herself blush. Her mind returned to worrying about what had happened last night.

Andrus couldn't help but read her thoughts; she was practically tossing them at him. "Nothing happened last night, Mai," he reassured her. "Lydia came by to check up on us and see how things were going. Before she entered the room, Malcolm and I got into the bed and pretended to get cozy with you. It seemed to satisfy her, and she left. We must have fallen asleep before we could move. I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable." He was picking up on her attraction to him, but he was cautious in his reaction to it even though he was rather enjoying it. Her warm body underneath his was very welcome.

He noticed a piece of her honey blonde hair had come loose from its braid, so he reached his hand out and moved it away from her face. He ended up tucking it behind her ear. Mai shivered. "Are you cold, Mai?" he inquired softly, knowing full well that was not why she was trembling.

"No," she whispered in return, afraid to say anything else.

She wanted him to stroke her cheek. Much to her surprise and pleasure, he did; softly, slowly, and oh so tantalizingly. Their eyes met again and fire danced between them. Andrus leaned into her and found himself brushing his lips with hers. Mairead responded eagerly, allowing him to fully kiss her. A pleasant warmth washed through her, as the kiss deepened, and they explored each other's mouths.

"Major Donnelly?" came Lieutenant Reed's query. "Andrus? Where are you two?"

Mairead jumped at the sound of his voice and broke away from the Betazoid. He, too, sprung back a bit, not wanting Reed to catch them in such a compromising position. Andrus was trying to understand what had just occurred between him and the human woman. He had not only felt her desire for him, but also her desire for someone to love her. He realized that he desperately wanted to be that someone.

"We're down on the floor, Malcolm," Andrus was the first to answer Reed's question.

"What in heaven's name are you doing down there?" the lieutenant asked, and his face appeared over the end of the bed. "Are you two all right?"

"We're fine, Lieutenant," Mairead now spoke up. "I was tryin' ta git outta of bed, slipped and fell, and uh, accidentally dragged Andrus with me," she then explained, working at controlling her voice and her blushing.

_I wish it would have been me she had accidentally pulled out of bed with her, _Malcolm thought wryly. _That could have been very enjoyable._ Malcolm suddenly realized how unprofessional his thoughts were, and feared Andrus reading them. Thinking of the alien, Malcolm silently wondered how the Betazoid had reacted to falling on top of the lovely Major, for he assumed from their position on the floor, even though they were slightly apart, Andrus would have to have landed on top of her. Now that thought angered Malcolm, and he felt jealousy rear its ugly head. He had no right to be jealous, but he was in spite of himself. He found himself wanting to question them further as to what they had been doing after they fell out of the bed; their coloring was rather pink, as if from embarrassment. Had it really been an 'accident' or had they fallen out of bed because they were doing more than sleeping? _Stop it right there_, he chastised himself. _It's none of your bloody business._

A knock at the door thankfully save the couple on the floor from having to elaborate any further. A voice followed the knock. "Milady Donnelly, Queen Hippolyta wishes your audience."

Crap, the queen was right outside. Andrus was quick on his feet, signaling to Malcolm to straighten up the bed, while Andrus himself, grabbed Mai a robe to put over her silvery nightgown and helped her back into the bed.

"What do I say?" she hissed at Andrus.

"Tell the announcer that you'd be honored to visit with the queen, and tell your door guard to allow them in," Andrus instructed quietly.

Mairead did just that. As Hippolyta waltzed into the room, Andrus, with Reed following his lead, stood at strict attention on either side of the bed. Mairead almost found herself on the floor again as she realized Jonny was trailing behind the queen. He looked worn out, like he hadn't gotten much sleep. That thought sent Mairead's imagination off in the wrong direction. A fiery jealousy flared up inside of her, even though she had just been kissing a strange alien herself. Had Jonny spent all night making Hippolyta a happy woman? Mairead sure hoped not.

"Good morning, Major Donnelly," Hippolyta said way too cheery for Mairead's liking. "I trust that you slept well," she added, glancing at Reed and Tam with a raise of her elegant eyebrows.

"Like the dead, your Highness," Mairead replied, half-respectful, half not. She then crossed her arms over her chest as she sat in the bed. "Your First Commander made it impossible ta do anythin' else."

Hippolyta's face clouded over for a moment. "I apologize for Lydia's overzealousness. I honestly don't know what got into her. She must really think highly of your skills and potential to go after you that way she did so strongly yesterday."

"Am I to expect the same kinda experience today?" Mairead asked testily.

"By the goddess, no," Hippolyta said patiently. "We want you to experience the delights of our society first. Yesterday was merely a preliminary examination. We can do more of that kind of testing later."

Mairead was trying to concentrate on what the queen was saying, but her gaze kept flicking to Jonny standing behind the sovereign. The young major started when she caught him sliding his gaze toward her more often than not. She thought she caught worry in his eyes and something else she couldn't quite identify.

"We have a full day of enjoyment set up for you today, and even a view of how we do business with other species," Hippolyta was saying. "You will be able to go on a hunt, have fine food and drink, watch a gladiatorial match, and observe a meeting between our representatives and those from the Orion Syndicate. I think that you will find all of it most illuminating."

Mairead watched Jonny twitch behind the queen at the mention of the Orion Syndicate. That name sounded very familiar to Mairead. It must have been in one of the mission reports she had read before coming aboard the _Enterprise_. Jonny had had dealings with the Orions, but they had ended up being unfavorable ones, as she recalled. This was not good.

"And," the queen continued on, "you will be able to enjoy all and any of the male company you wish." Hippolyta suddenly turned coy. "Even the company of this one," she purred, slipping behind Jonny and sliding a hand up his back, over his shoulders, and down his chest.

Mairead's mouth fell open at the queen's words. Why would Hippolyta let her new "toy" out of her sight? Jonny appeared to be just as surprised at this turn of events as Mairead felt. She noticed how Jonny squirmed when Hippolyta ran her hand over his taunt body. Maybe Jonny hadn't gotten too friendly with the Arterminian woman after all. Watching the queen's movements had made something pull low in Mairead's stomach. She'd love to do what Hippolyta had just done. Mairead shook herself mentally to clear her head of those kinds of thoughts; they were dangerous. What was wrong with her? Too many good looking men around with not enough clothes on, she guessed.

"Not to sound ungrateful, yer Majesty," Mairead said when she had found her voice again, "but why would ya allow Jon—Cap'n Archer outta yer custody."

Hippolyta smiled slyly at Archer, and then at Mairead. The queen had caught Mairead's slip. She then explained her reasoning. "This is one male who has a way with words. He entertained me all night long with his storytelling. In the course of his recounting his fascinating tales, you came up more than once in them. Archer explained to me about how human males and females interact with one another as equals. He told me of your long standing 'friendship'. I'm curious to see this kind of relationship play out. It is unheard of among my people.

"I'm only allowing this to go on today and tonight, however," the queen went on. "I can't afford the two of you too much time, but my curiosity to observe your interaction must be satisfied."

When Mairead remained in shocked silence, the queen still had more to say. After she eyed Reed and Tam carefully for a moment, she said, "I think I will borrow the one called Reed from you in exchange. I don't want three of your from you ship together; that would not be very wise on my part. I have also all ready sampled Tam." She gave Andrus a sultry look. "He is most pleasing, but Reed would be something new to experience, something different to explore."

Mairead turned slightly to glance at the lieutenant in question. Although his face was a blank mask, his ramrod straight posture gave away his discomfort; at least to Mairead it did. "It would be lovely ta spend time with Jon—Cap'n Archer," Mai wanted to kick herself for slipping with his name once again, "but I'd like ta make sure Lieutenant Reed is okay with the situation first."

Malcolm gave her a grateful glance. Hippolyta laughed right out loud. "Oh, Major, you are so quaint to think to ask your male's opinion. That is something we will have to weed out of you. A male's opinion does not matter. He will do as he is told regardless of how he feels about it," was the queen's reply.

Mairead felt a huge urge to argue with the queen, but a subtle shake of Jonny's head made her swallow her remarks. "Yes, yer Majesty," she said instead.

Hippolyta flashed Mairead a dazzling smile. "Excellent, my dear," she said with satisfaction. "Get dressed, enjoy your breakfast, and then join me in my gardens. I and Lydia will tell you all about the hunt we have planned for you, and what you will be expected to do." The queen actually bounced a little on the balls of her feet, she was so excited.

"I'll look forward to it," Mairead replied with a fake smile.

The hot pink-skinned woman turned her attention to Malcolm then. "Come here, Reed," she commanded.

Malcolm hesitated a moment, battling within himself to be obedient or defiant. Right now, he decided, it was wiser to obey. He slowly walked over to where the queen was standing. Archer stayed where he was, hoping to speak to his Chief of Security, if even for a second. Malcolm then stood in front of the queen as she looked him over from head to foot, like a piece of livestock. It took everything he had to stand there with no expression on his face and to control his steadily rising anger.

"You will do nicely," the queen finally concluded. She undid the chain and collar from around Archer's neck and placed it around Malcolm's. He had to grit his teeth to stay calm. "Let's go get something to eat," Hippolyta then instructed.

The whole time Mairead was talking with the Arterminian queen, Andrus was quietly taking stock of the situation. Mairead's thoughts were so easy to read, especially when she was distracted. She was a boon of new information for him. Her emotions were also all over the place, helping him to read them at his leisure. He sensed her nervousness, her surprise, her relief, her worry, her momentary joy, and finally, her disgust at the queen's attitude. She was such a complicated being.

So, this Captain Archer, the commander of the starship, was the Jonny that Andrus had picked up on in Mai's thoughts once before; the one she had fond feelings for. It became painfully clear to Andrus that this man was the one she yearned to give her heart to. Mai was very much in love with Archer, but she had never said anything about how she felt to the human captain. The Betazoid also found a deep and strong friendship between the two humans. He knew from her surfaces thoughts that they were not mates, nor in a romantic relationship, which he found odd because he sensed a profound affection in each of them for each other. Why were they not together?

Andrus was relieved that they weren't, however. He had his own sights set on the beautiful human woman, and he didn't want any competition. He wanted to probe deeper and find out more about her relationship with Archer, but he couldn't without her permission. Well, he could, but that would be breaking his species' ethical code, and he was not about to that, yet. Andrus decided to switch to trying to pick up on Archer's surface thoughts.

Archer's mind was much more guarded than Mai's. His thoughts were under tighter control. Was it gender or position that made that so? Andrus didn't know. A light scan of Archer's stray thoughts was enlightening, however. Jonathan Archer was just as in love with Mai as she was with him. The Captain was deeply worried about her, but hopeful she would help him plan his people's escape. Andrus sensed Archer's struggle to remain professional and clear headed around Mai. He was her superior in the chain-of-command, and it was against regulations for them to be anything more than friends, yet that was not the true reason Archer had never expressed his feelings toward Mai.

The Betazoid was intrigued by all this. He could also sense a thread of jealousy running through Archer's thoughts. Most of it was directed at Mai's late husband, but it was also directed at the idea of Mai being around so many males. Andrus felt the human should be jealous. Mai was a light in the darkness, and if Archer had not seized her, shame on him. Andrus would not let this woman slip through his fingers so easily. He would win her over and beat Archer to the finish line. Mai's kiss had set his mind and body on fire, and he would have her for himself.

The queen had paused by the door to the bedroom waiting expectantly. Andrus gave Reed a look, telling him without words to open the door for the monarch. Malcolm quickly understood what he needed to do and complied. Hippolyta only got a few feet out into the hallway before she stopped again to converse with some of the guards. Archer was quick to take advantage of the situation. He made his way over to Malcolm who was now stuck waiting, holding the door.

"Sorry about this, Malcolm," he whispered to his tactical officer.

"I'll be fine, Captain," was the lieutenant's hushed reply. "Talk to Andrus. He and I have started to devise a plan to get us out of here. He'll be able to fill you and Major Donnelly in. She was asleep when we discussed it. She really took a beating yesterday."

"I saw," Archer said as quietly as possible. "Is she okay?"

"A little sore, but I think she'll be all right," Malcolm told his captain. "The three of you can work on our plan further. I'll see if I can pass the ideas on to any other members of the crew I come into contact with."

Archer was glad somebody was thinking about a way out of this mess. "You trust that...that man?" he then asked, indicating Andrus with a slight turn of his head.

"So far," Reed informed the Captain. "I'd still be cautious, but he might be our best bet out of here. He is an alien, Captain, though he looks human. He is what he called a Betazoid. He is telepathic and empathetic, so be careful of your thoughts around him."

Reed's last statement took Archer aback. He _would_ have to be careful, for some of his thoughts and feelings were not meant to be shared. "You know that Trip and Travis are down in the kitchens right?" Archer decided to concentrate on the more important matter at hand.

"Yes," Malcolm answered. "I'll pass along what I can to them if I have to go make breakfast for the queen."

"Good. I'll do what I can from my end," the Captain said hurriedly, as Hippolyta had ceased talking to the guards and compelled Malcolm to follow her.

Archer closed the door after they were gone. He leaned against it and let out a long, labored breath. He was free from the queen's attentions for a little while at least. He had never talked so much in his life, but in the end it had paid off. He had pleased Hippolyta without having to compromise his moral principles, and he now found himself right where he wanted to be, with Mai.

Speaking of which, she was suddenly out of the bed and running toward him. He felt her arms slip around him in a tight embrace before his eyes actually registered her standing in front of him. The robe and nightgown she was wearing was silky sooth, and she was soft and warm. _Her_ attentions were very welcome. He found himself hugging her back for all he was worth. She smelled so sweet, like lilacs; he breathed her essence in as much as he could.

"Oh, Jonny," was all she could say as she gripped him firmly to her. "This is a nightmare," she was able to add. She winced as all her actions made her sore body ache.

"Tell me about it, Mai," he replied tenderly. He smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder; well more like on his chest because he was so much taller than she was. It felt so damn good to hold her. He felt her flinch as if in pain, and he tried to sooth her, massaging her back and neck gently.

The clearing of someone's throat broke the moment. "I'm sorry to interrupt your reunion, but I don't have much time to bring you both up to speed on what Malcolm and I discussed earlier."

"And you are?" Archer asked bluntly.

"Cap'n, this is Andrus Tam of the planet Betazed," Mai answered for Andrus, pulling back from Archer a little bit, but not totally away from him.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Tam," Archer tried to say politely. "I'm Captain Jonathan Archer of the Earth starship _Enterprise_." As he spoke, Archer really focused his attention on the alien for the first time. His human-like appearance was still amazing to the Captain.

Tam offered him a small smile. "Likewise, Captain Archer. Both Malcolm and Mai have spoken highly of you. I want you to know up front that my species has telepathic and empathetic abilities. We don't read people's minds against their will, as a general rule, but I can sense stray surface thoughts and emotions that are not well controlled. And I am as surprised as you are that our species' appearances are so similar."

Archer appreciated the alien being up front and confirming the information Malcolm had passed on to his captain. Reed had said to be cautious around this man, but that he was their best chance to escape. The Captain guessed his wonderment at Tam's appearance must be one of those surface thoughts that the Betazoid could sense. "Lieutenant Reed mentioned you and he had begun planning a way to get out of these less-than-ideal circumstances," he said, getting down to business now.

"I miss my homeworld probably as much as you do, Captain," Tam told Archer honestly. "I miss my family, those I work with, and my friends. I long to be my own person again and not some female's plaything. I want out of here as much as you do; believe me."

Mairead was shocked. "You and Lieutenant Reed already started plannin' an escape? Where was I?"

"You were so tired last night from your bout with Lydia that you just passed out after your bath," Andrus explained to her. "You even missed out on the delicious meal Malcolm prepared for you."

At the mention of food, Mairead's stomach rumbled. She hadn't had anything to eat for a very long time. Eating something right now was a very appealing idea. She felt bad for wasting all of Reed's hard work. Archer, however, was still back at Tam's mention of Mairead having a bath. What went on in here last night? The thought of any man touching Mairead that intimately angered Archer.

Andrus picked up on both thoughts with their accompanying emotions. "I can show Captain Archer how to reheat the food from last night. It was put in stasis for when you could enjoy it. It isn't wasted, Mai." Andrus chose to not to respond to Archer's thought.

"You did it again, didn't ya?" Mairead asked, shaking her head in amusement.

"Did what?" Archer inquired. "What did he do?"

"He took the words right outta me mouth," she said, finally leaving Archer's arms and walking over to the table with the stasis-held food still on it. "I guess alla me thoughts are just hung out there fer him to grab on ta."

Andrus gave the Captain an apologetic look. "I'm really trying not to intrude on either of your thoughts, but you humans have no apparent training in blocking them."

An awkward silence fell over them, and Mairead felt the need to break it. "I'll go find something more appropriate ta wear, while you two do as Andrus suggested and warm up the food. I, fer one, am stravin'. Is there enough fer all of us ta eat?" she then asked of the Betazoid.

"I believe so," was Andrus' reply. "Let us know if you need any help changing," he said automatically, as he had been trained to do.

Archer gave him a very hard look, and Andrus could sense the human male's disapproval of the suggestion. Mai rushed in to quell the rising storm. "I think I can manage on me own, but thanks." Then she rushed off in the direction of the enormous walk-in closet the bedroom had in it. Hopefully, it contained something she could wear and feel comfortable in. She longed for her plain and drab MACO uniform.

The closet was filled with clothes, but they were mostly dresses. Ever since Mairead had resigned herself to being a MACO soldier, she had boycotted dresses. They didn't feel right on her anymore, and they were not practical in her line of work. She was very disappointed in her selection too; even though it was extensive, and they seemed to be tailored to her size. The dresses were all more revealing than she would have liked. Her frustration was giving way to anger, and her aching body was not helping the situation either. Mairead started to go through each dress, one by one, trying to find something suitable. Each one she passed in disgust. Finally, she let out a string of Gaelic curses that would have even made Matthew Hayes blush.

"You okay in here, Mai?" Jonny's worried voice came from behind her, startling her.

When she had recovered, she all but growled her answer, "I can't find a single bloody thing ta wear that isn't designed fer a prostitute in here."

Archer tried not to laugh at her predicament; it could have been much worse. "Can I be of any assistance?" he then inquired, struggling not to smile. He knew that would fire her Irish temper up even more, and he didn't want to do that. An angry Mai was really scary.

"I doubt it, Jonny," she signed wearily, "but you can give it the old college try."

"Sure," he said, and began his own perusal of the closet's contents. He really knew nothing of women's clothing or fashion, but he knew what he liked. After a few minutes, he started to see what Mai had meant by her earlier comment. All of the dresses seemed to have a common theme; they weren't made to be worn for very long, for any male would want to strip them right off to get at what was underneath. That was a bad thought for him to have; especially with Mai standing right next to him.

Then he found something that he thought might work. It was a beautiful light blue color and longer in length. It would really bring out Mai's stunning eyes. The front seemed modest enough, and the straps were about three fingers wide. This one should do the trick. "How about this one?" he asked of his friend.

Mairead came closer to him, and taking it in her hands, she examined it closely. "Not bad," she conceded. She turned it over in her hands and gasped. It had a very low back; a plunging one even. "On second thought, I don't think so," she informed him with a grimace.

"It's not _that _bad, Mai," Archer said, defending his choice. True, the back was a little low, but it would cover Mai better than anything else the Captain had seen in the closet.

"I can't wear somethin' like that, Jonny," she half-whined.

"Why not?" he asked seriously. "You'd look gorgeous in it, Mai." Did he just say that out loud? That was not good. What was wrong with him? It must be his lack of sleep. Or maybe it was that fact that Mai was right here in front of him in a nightgown.

Mairead gave him a surprised look, and she blushed deeply. "I appreciate the compliment, Cap'n, but that's not the point. I've got ta fine somethin' more coverin' than that." She used his title to dispel the rush of feelings his comment has stirred in her. It was nice to know he could look at her as woman and not just a friend; it kind of surprised her too.

"Okay, okay," Archer relented, hiding his disappointment.

They began searching through the dresses again, but after several more minutes they'd come up dry. "Bollocks," Mai hissed. "What I wouldn'ta give for a pair of pants."

Archer then noticed the front of one dress. It was a shade darker blue than the one he'd chosen for Mai. It looked like the strips across the chest area unhooked from both sides. He suddenly had an idea. He could take the strips off the front of the one dress and hook them on the back of the other. They would provide Mai with the coverage she wanted. His Boy Scout training was kicking in again; take from one thing to use for another, when your choices were limited.

"Give me that light blue dress I showed you earlier. I have an idea," he said mysteriously.

Mairead eyed him skeptically, like she had done a millions times before. It made a wave of nostalgia wash over Archer. "Go for it," she finally said, handing the dress over to him.

He went into the bathroom, for there was a passage way through the closet to the bathroom besides door into it from out in the bedroom. "Find me something like scissors, or like a knife," he requested of her. He'd use the sink as a work bench. While she started searching through drawers and cupboards for the needed item, Archer began removing the crossways strips from the dark blue dress; they came off easily. Then he turned the light blue dress over and counted to see how many strips and hooks he'd need to make his idea work.

Having found what looked like some type of cutting instrument; Mairead joined Archer at the sink and watched him work his magic. He cut tiny slits on each side of the back of the light blue dress, measuring for the width, and shortening the crossways strips where needed. The hooks on each side of the strips fit perfectly into the slits Archer had cut, effectively covering up the back of the dress with four horizontal strips. The adaption he'd made actually blended in well with the light blue dress' coloring and design, making it modest and stylish at the same time.

Mairead couldn't believe her eyes. It reminded her of the time he'd made a makeshift compass to find their way through a blizzard to a mutual friend's cabin. Premade, mechanical compasses hadn't been allowed, as it was part of a test, but Jonny had gotten around that by bringing supplies to make a compass out of simple, everyday household items. It was a very fond memory; one she cherished. Now her good friend had come through for her again. Mairead's heart swelled with gratefulness, and she loved him all the more.

"Thanks, Jonny," she found herself gushing. "You really know how ta help a damsel in distress. I don't know how I've gotten along without ya all these years. Yer wonderful."

Now Archer felt himself blushing, but he had genuinely wanted to please Mai; make her happy. It seemed as if he had. "Oh, I don't know," he replied modestly. "I think you know how to handle yourself pretty well. I'm just glad I could be useful."

"Yer always useful, Jonny," Mairead told him affectionately. "Always."

She couldn't stop herself from hugging him again; despite the hurt it could cause her abused body. Whatever fragranced soap the Arterminians had let him bath with smelled divine, almost like a sweet cologne. His skin was warm and inviting. His body was lean and strong. Mairead could stay in his arms all day and be content. She felt Jonny hugged her back, holding her tight, and rubbing her back soothingly again. She didn't want this moment to end; it was a calm in the storm; peace in the chaos of war.

Archer couldn't make himself let go of her. Here in his arms was everything he wanted and had been denied. His body was starting to react to hers, and he had a flash of his dream from just a few nights ago. He had to fight against this, for this was Mai, his friend and his subordinate. Temptation was walling him in on every side, however, and he realized he was sick and tried of fighting how he really felt.

He found himself drawing them closer together, his hands putting pressure on her back to push her into him more. He could feel the curves of her body, and it made his heart speed up. He also felt a little lightheaded. Archer looked down at her, wondering if she would be confused and upset at his actions. He was surprised to find a hungry look in her eyes. It emboldened him, and after studying her full and pouty lips, he covered her mouth with his. Mai didn't resist; in fact, she met him movement for movement. The kiss took on a life of its own, growing more and more passionate with each motion. Their hands caressed each others backs, stroking tenderly.

Mairead felt herself backed into one of the bathroom's mirrored walls. She was in heaven. Jonny tasted so good, so masculine; sweet and sour at the same time. She lost herself in each sensation, savoring each one. Was this really happening? It had to be; none of her fantasies had ever felt this good. Her mind and spirit were on fire; burning with a desire she hadn't felt in a long time. Tommy had never made her feel like this, and neither had Andrus, in the brief kiss they'd shared. Jonny was perfect; better than her wildest dreams. He was what she really wanted. This was too good to be true.

"The food is ready," Andrus' voice sounded in the distance.

The impassioned couple didn't hear him. One of Mairead's hands had slipped up Archer's back and neck. She caressed his neck and ran her fingers through his short brown hair. Archer's hands wandered up and down Mai's back sending chills throughout her body. He was kissing her with everything he had, not holding back any longer. Mairead kissed him back just as ardently. It was like a dam had broken and all the water was rushing out to flood the valley below. Both of them were finally giving into what they had felt for a very long time. Neither one of them cared about the consequences of later; all that matter was the here and now.

"Breakfast is read--, oh," Andrus stopped short of what he was saying as he walked into the bathroom, catching Archer and Mai in their fiery embrace. The sight threw accelerant on Andrus' jealous feelings. He wasn't a mean person by nature, but he wanted to squelch this budding romance in anyway possible. He chose to embarrass them, especially Mai. He loudly said, "Is it a human custom to greet every man a female sees with such intimacy?"

Even in Mai's pleasure-hazed state, she heard Andrus' remark. She instantly broke her kiss with Archer and pulled away from him. She was turning beet red. What in the bloody hell was wrong with her? First she'd lost herself a bit with Andrus, and now she was making out with her captain. She wasn't usually like this around men. Was the Arterminian way of life rubbing off on her? Was it because she hadn't been intimate with a man for a long time? Tommy had been gone for months now, and before that they had been assigned to different locations. It had been a while before Tommy died that they had been able to be together as husband and wife. Was this the way her mind was trying to cope with her situation? That didn't bode well either; she'd been trained better than this. So what was wrong with her?

Archer didn't miss Tam's comment either. As he looked at Mai, his fear was confirmed; something had happened between the alien and Mai. She wouldn't look him in the eye, and her face was scarlet. That realization totally dashed the hope the Captain had begun to feel toward he and Mai's relationship. He had started to convince himself that Mai actually felt the same way he did; that she was in love with him like he was in love with her. She wouldn't have kissed him like that if she didn't feel something more than friendship. But now he'd learned she had also kissed, or God forbid, done something more with Tam. Maybe her reaction to his impulsive actions was really not her own. Maybe the Arterminians were influencing her in some way. Archer felt like someone had reached into his chest and ripped his heart out.

Mairead had no idea how to explain her actions, to either man. She felt so cheap. "I'm…I'm...I don't…Somethin's…," she stammered and couldn't form a complete thought. "Oh, shit," she finally managed and fled the bathroom. She didn't know where she could go, but she had to get away from both of these men.

"Mai, wait!" Archer called after her, suddenly worried about her. She must feel awful right now, and he wasn't do anything to help her.

"Did I say something wrong?" Andrus asked innocently.

"I don't know; you tell me, you're the empath. How's Mai feeling right now? How am I feeling right now?" Archer asked bitterly.

Andrus experienced a flash of guilt, but then pushed it aside. Mai would be his, not Archer's. What he had said had been for her own good, no matter how bad it made her feel. "I can sense that I've obviously said something that has upset you both. I'm terribly sorry. It just surprised me to see her being affectionate with you, when she had also been affectionate with me. She doesn't seem like the kind of female to give her affection easily. She is not like the Arterminian women I've had to deal with," Andrus explained, trying to give Archer some type of rationalization. Most of what he said was true, but his reasons for saying weren't.

"Maybe we should talk about how to get out of here, rather than dwell on all this right now," Archer replied, knowing all this drama was a distraction. He wanted to deal with it, for Mai's sake, but it could not be their top priority right now. Escaping these dominating aliens was. He had his entire crew to think about, not just himself and his personal feelings.

"Agreed, Captain," Andrus said. Then he added, "It might be the best thing for Major Donnelly too." He used Mairead's more formal name to try and appear detached for Archer's sake. Andrus didn't want the human male to be too consciously aware of his intentions toward the exquisite Mai.

They walked out of the bathroom together and found Mai sitting on a couch, staring at the floor. Her eyes were shut tightly, like she was trying to compose herself. Andrus was the first to speak to her. "You have your pick of meats, fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, and types of drink. All of it tastes pretty good and is meant to give you good nutrition. The Arterminians are fanatics about keeping fit and healthy." Then he started dishing Mai and Archer up plates of food.

Archer sat next to Mai on the couch; close, but not too close. He was attempting to show her that everything was all right, and that he wasn't displeased with her. "Andrus wants to discuss with us his and Malcolm's plan to free ourselves from captivity. And Malcolm mentioned that we needed to find a way to complete it. You up for some problem-solving, Major?" he said to her.

"Yes, sir," Mai replied, her voice a little shaky. "I think that tis the best idea I've 'eard yet."

TBC

**Was that any good? Did it fulfill the requests at least a little bit? Come on and tell me all about it. That would be just fantastic and would inspire me to continue. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**Rated T: For mainly violence and a little mature themed content**

**A/N: Okay, it's getting time to go rescue the boys. This chapter sets up the Orions' and E women's plan to get the men back. This idea was a flash of inspiration that I was quiet happy with. You'll all have to let me know if it works for you. The situation with Mai and Archer is about to take a dramatic turn, thanks to the Arterminians. Then some of the boys start working on their escape plan with great success. By the way, some of you expressed that they were mad at Andrus or that they didn't like him for trying to get between Mai and Archer. I was glad to hear that; you're supposed to feel like that because it means I'm doing my job as a writer. I hope you like this chapter; it was a blast to compose. And you pronounce Dione (dy OH nee).**

**Thanks to LadyRainbow for coming through for me in beta reading when she really wasn't feeling good. She really helps me to get the chapters flowing and reading well. Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review. I'm not above begging, obviously because I do every time I post. :)**

**Chapter 10**

**It's Not Easy Being Green**

"You must hold still, Ensign," Dr. Phlox admonished Hoshi Sato for about the tenth time. "I must get the skin pigment just the right color."

"Sorry, Phlox," Hoshi said honestly. "It just itches something fierce," she added as she tried to repress the need to squirm again.

"I must say," Navaar commented, looking at her two sisters, "you humans transform rather beautifully into one of us." Her voice was a subtle purr as she spoke. Phlox had to force himself to concentrate on the medical procedure.

"I thought the pheromone inhibitor you kindly provided us with was supposed to help us cope with your Orion physiology," Phlox said, looking askance at Navaar and her sisters.

"And we plainly told you that every species reacts differently to it," D'Nesh replied with a roll of her eyes. "We tried to modify it mainly for the human females so they could function around us and not become physically ill. We also let you, Doctor, use it on yourself so your Denobulan sleep cycle wouldn't be interfered with. We never said it would make you immune to our feminine charms."

Phlox caught himself shivering delightfully at her last statement. Her voice was very hypnotic. He could be assured he wouldn't randomly go into a hibernation cycle, but he wasn't safe from being seduced by one or all three of the exquisite Orions.

"Earth to Phlox," Hoshi snapped at the doctor. "Could you please finish with me before you fall under their influence?" she said jokingly.

Hoshi was lying on her back on a biobed, covered in only a sickbay sheet. Her skin was no longer, a soft, creamy flesh color, but now it was a light shade of green. Phlox was attempting to inject some pigment altering enzymes into Hoshi's skin cells to make her look like an Orion female. Navaar, D'Nesh, and Maras were aboard the _Enterprise_ supervising and assisting in the process. If it worked on Hoshi, then more _Enterprise_ women could volunteer to masquerade as Orions too.

Harrad-Sar and Navaar had been able to secure a "business" meeting with the Arterminian queen and some of her top trading representatives. The plan was to have some of the human women disguise themselves among Navaar's people to grant the humans access to their men. The human women could then wander around among their men passing out tiny transponders, so the Orions' ships and the _Enterprise _could get a transporter lock on all the human men and whisk them away to safety. If not all the men could be reached directly by their womenfolk, then the men they _could_ reach would be given extra transponders to spread among themselves, hopefully reaching everyone.

Hoshi couldn't believe she was actually doing this. Four years ago, she would never have even considered volunteering for a mission like this, but time and experience had strengthened her. Her dedication to her crew and captain had grown in leaps and bounds as well. She was determined to get those in captivity back safe and sound, especially one man in particular. Hoshi's skills at dealing with and adapting to other cultures made her a perfect choice to lead this mission. The make up of T'Pol's Vulcan blood and certain sequences in her DNA would not allow Phlox to be able to believably change her skin color; and body paint was just not going to cut it in this case. Plus, T'Pol thought it was more logical that she remain aboard _Enterprise _to coordinate the rescue itself. It was really a shame that the procedure wouldn't work on T'Pol, for Hoshi thought she would make a stunning Orion. All in all, it left Hoshi as the top candidate to lead the away mission.

Liz Cutler chose that moment to enter Sickbay. She instantly didn't like Phlox being surrounded by the three Orion females. "I'd thought I'd check in and see if I could help out," she tried to say as neutrally as possible.

"If you can make this process go any faster, I'd be very grateful," Hoshi answered her glibly.

Phlox was thankful for Liz's presence as well. "You could monitor Ensign Sato's immune system response for me," he told Liz as she came over to the biobed Hoshi was lying on. She not so subtly placed herself between Phlox and Maras, who was the Orion closest to him.

"I'd be more than happy to, Doctor," Liz replied with fake cheerfulness.

D'Nesh thought Liz's possessiveness of Phlox was extremely amusing. The human female wasn't one of the Denobulan's three wives, but she protected him as if she were. "We should try the pigmentation procedure on you next, my dear. Your bone structure would be strikingly set off by our green skin tone," D'Nesh informed Liz in a sickly-sweet manner.

Liz couldn't help but blush. "I just may take you up on that offer," she retorted with an attitude to cover up her embarrassment. "I'd like nothing more than to assist in rescuing the captain and crew."

D'Nesh and Navaar smirked at Liz's show of bravado. This little wallflower would have a lot to learn about being an Orion female. Phlox was trying to picture the small and petite Liz Cutler all green with dark, black hair, instead of her dishwater blonde locks. Her beautiful blues eyes would really stand out as well. It was a very interesting image.

A few hours later, T'Pol and Corporals McKenzie and Cole where viewing a very different looking Hoshi Sato. A flowing, thick, and wavy black wig replaced the Ensign's own thin, dark hair. Gleaming blue contact covered her normally dark brown eyes. Her skin was a perfect match to Navaar's, a dark, creamy green. T'Pol recognized certain facial features as Hoshi's, but otherwise she looked totally alien. The rich red outfit Maras had supplied Hoshi with covered the essentials, but enhanced and showed off Hoshi's fit body.

Harrad-Sar had also joined his females, along with the captain of one of the Orion marauders, a Captain Delev. They were eyeing Hoshi with great appreciation. "If I didn't know better, I would never have guessed she wasn't an Orion," Harrad-Sar commented. Then he spoke directly to Hoshi, "If my credit wasn't so strained I would buy you in a second."

Hoshi felt her face warm at the men's perusal of her, but was glad that she looked the part. Navaar came over to her to stand beside her. "The question now: can you act like one of us, move like one of us?" Maras came to stand behind Navaar, and they danced weaving in and out of one another. Phlox and the male Orion's were riveted to them.

D'Nesh soon joined in and added her seductive movements to the dance. "Come dance with us, Hoshi," D'Nesh purred.

Hoshi gulped and looked at T'Pol. The Vulcan woman simply nodded for Hoshi to try and blend in with the Orion females. Hoshi new some martial art moves that she thought might flow well with what the Orions were doing; Tai Chi could be very graceful. She carefully timed her body's moves to theirs. She felt extremely self-conscious, but kind of excited too. This was so out of the ordinary for her, and she wanted to prove to herself she could do this.

The three sisters incorporated Hoshi as a fourth very smoothly, and they found Hoshi a quick study. Soon their audience couldn't tell Hoshi had ever been human. Her body was as alluring and tantalizing in its movements as the others. They synchronized well together, and all the males in the room were putty in their hands. Harrad-Sar had it in his mind to truly want to add Hoshi to his harem. She would be a smashing addition to the other three.

"Okay, I think we get the point," Corporal McKenzie finally spoke up. "Hoshi will pass for one of you just fine. Now it's our turn see if we can play the part."

"Agreed," said Navaar, abruptly ending the sexy dance. "Dr. Phlox you will need to get to work right away. We need to be under way as soon as possible. The meeting is scheduled to be in twelve hours."

"I'm ready as soon as my patients are," the doctor replied.

"I'll go get the other volunteers rounded up while you work on Corporal McKenzie," Corporal Cole stated, and then she turned on her heel and headed out of Sickbay.

"I must say that I had not given this plan a very high probability of success, but I now need to reassess that probability," T'Pol admitted. "You look very convincing, Ensign."

"I just hope I can stay in character," Hoshi said, looking at the other Orions. "You guys are not the easiest act to follow."

"Don't worry, Hoshi," Maras said with a wicked grin. "We'll tutor you well."

T'Pol raised one of her elegant eyebrows at the statement, while Hoshi just stared at the Orions who were all laughing gleefully at her predicament.

* * *

The walk in the queen's gardens was actually kind of peaceful. Hippolyta gave Mairead a grand tour, before Lydia showed up to discuss the up coming hunt with the MACO major. Mairead was wearing the lovely, light blue dress that Archer had so gallantly fixed for her. Archer thought it made Mairead look like an ice princess. She had also let her hair out of its braid, and it now tumbled down her back and shoulders in soft, golden waves. The surroundings they were in were lush and full of exotic color. The gardens contained everything from tiny, pin head-sized, white flowers to gigantic yellow and red blossoms. Mairead could hear the twittering of birds in the thick, green trees and bushes.

Archer, Lieutenant Reed, and Sergeant Nate Kemper were all trailing behind the women, secured with collars and chains. Mairead felt horrible about dragging her captain and best friend around on a leash, but it was expected of her. He was being very good about the whole situation. Now that they had the first part of their escape plan underway with Andrus finding an excuse to prowl around for a portable cardiac stimulator; Archer felt more like he could play along, for the meantime.

Kemper looked a little worse-for-wear. Lydia had been a demanding master it seemed, but she was in an extremely good mood, so whatever Nate had done, he had pleased her. Mairead shivered a little at what he had to do to make someone like Lydia happy. If Lydia liked what human males had to offer, she might be more lenient on them, or hopefully want to keep as many around as possible, and that would all be in the crew's favor. Reed seemed to be all right; the queen must have been easy on him. Hopefully, breakfast had been the only thing she had required of him thus far.

"I think we should make Major Donnelly's first hunt, a memorable one," Lydia was now saying. "Something she will never forget." Her tone was mischievous, and it scared Mairead a little. Lydia was in a flowing, black gown with short sleeves that showed off her muscular and fit form.

"I agree, First Commander," Hippolyta replied with equal mischievousness. The queen always looked her part. She had on a dress of deep purple with no sleeves, and a stunning jeweled crown.

Mairead thought she'd better find out more about what this hunting deal entailed before she tried to go through with it, if it came to that. "What exactly do ya hunt?" she asked.

"Oh, a number of wild creatures," Lydia answered cryptically. "There is a variety of wildlife we could choose from."

"And what do ya do with what ya catch?" Mairead found herself inquiring next, although she was afraid of the answer.

"That depends on what you're hunting," the queen informed her. "Sometimes it is just the thrill of the chase, the victory of catching your game. Sometimes it is for the kill, taking down your prey. And sometimes…it is for the pleasure."

"The pleasure?" Mairead was now confused.

Lydia smiled slyly at Mairead. "Yes, for sometimes we hunt our men to make mating more exciting."

Mairead stopped dead in her tracks with her mouth open. That thought had crossed her tactical mind, but then she dismissed it as silly. Apparently it wasn't. "Yer kiddin' me?" she finally said, still not wanting to believe it.

"The added endorphins and adrenaline rush really heightens the experience," Lydia explained. "Especially if the male is unwilling. The more challenging the hunt, the more satisfying the sex is."

"We have decided that you and Archer will be involved in this hunt, for the reward of pleasure," Hippolyta suddenly announced. "I want to see if your 'friendship' you have can survive the experience."

"Now hold on," Mairead tried to argue.

"Wait just a minute," Archer said at the exact same time.

"Why are you arguing with your queen?" Lydia snapped at them both.

Mairead couldn't take it any longer; she would not continue to agree to these aliens' demands. "I refuse to hunt down my cap'n. I've tried ta do as ya'ave asked, but this is goin' too far. I will not participate." Her voice was firm and resolute, but inside she was not so sure she should have shot her mouth off.

But Jonny echoed her thoughts. "I'm not going to play your silly games any more, Hippolyta. I'm not going to participate either." He sounded as firm and resolute as Mairead did. Reed and Kemper were stuck between cheering them on and fearing they'd be severely punished.

"You both speak as if you have any choice in the matter," Hippolyta said authoritatively. "You do not. You will do as I say. You are in my power and control now." As she spoke she fingered a stag necklace at her throat. Archer cried out and felt to his knees as pain lanced throughout his nervous system. Then Hippolyta signaled to Lydia, who with blinding speed struck out at Mairead, slapping her hardcore across the face. Her hand left a red print behind, she hit the major so hard. Mairead tasted blood in her mouth and almost fell from the force of the blow.

Reed and Kemper automatically went to aid their comrades, only to have Lydia active their control chips. They collapsed on the ground, spasming in pain. "You all need to remember who your masters are," Lydia hissed at them. "You will not defy us." Then she spoke to one of Hippolyta's handmaidens that had been standing patiently by a great stone bench in the middle of the garden. "Bring it here, Dione."

The beautiful, light pink woman in a long, white, thin-strapped dress stepped hesitantly forward. The look on her face was one of marked disapproval. "Is something wrong, Dione?" Lydia said harshly.

"I just don't like how you're treating these people," she whispered. "It is cruel."

Hippolyta looked sharply at her handmaiden. "You forget yourself, Dione. Your mother would be rolling in her grave to hear you speak so. This _is_ who we _are,_ what we _do_. You should enjoy the pain of others."

"Well, I'm sorry your Majesty, but I don't," Dione said with a shake of her white- blonde ponytail. "It brings me only sorrow."

"You are treading a dangerous path, young one," Lydia warned. "Would you like to be turned out into the streets? Serving in the queen's household is a high honor. Many a young girl like yourself would do anything to have it. You only have the position because of the great deeds of your mother. If the queen should find you lacking, she could destroy you."

Hippolyta waved her hand in front of her. "Now, now, Lydia," she admonished. "You needn't go _that_ far, but you must be careful, my dear Dione." Then the queen dismissed the squabble. "Please give me the vial."

Dione slowly walked over to her queen. "Yes, your Majesty," she said softly and handed over a crystal vial with some kind of black liquid in it.

Even though Archer and his crewmen were recovering from their torturous punishment, none of them missed that fact that at least one Arterminian didn't like how their society functioned. That was a hopeful revelation. Mairead looked at Archer with the most apologetic look he had ever seen on her face. He tried to smile reassuringly at her, but was interrupted by Lydia pulling him abruptly to his feet. Suddenly a group of four personal guards surrounded him and Lydia.

"What are ya doin'?" Mairead managed to ask.

"Preparing this male for the hunt," was the answer Lydia gave her. "You will drink from the vial the queen holds," she commanded Archer.

Archer made to resist, but two of the guards grabbed a hold of him on either side and forced him to his knees. Mairead moved to help him, but the other two guards barred her passage. Lydia's hands latched on to Archer's head in a painful, vice-like grip, holding it in place.

"Do not fight this. It is useless," Hippolyta said as she towered over him. She squeezed his mouth open and dumped the contents of the vial into it. Archer fought against all of this, but couldn't overcome it. The queen forced his mouth closed and plugged his nose so he had to swallow the black liquid or choke to death. As soon as Hippolyta was satisfied he had indeed swallowed it, she allowed him to be released. The stuff tasted absolutely disgusting. It was bitter, sweet, and sour all at the same time. He coughed and sputtered, falling to the ground again.

"What did you just do to him?" Reed demanded.

"He has just been given an incentive to hunt," Lydia said coyly.

Mairead looked at Lydia in complete confusion and horror. "I thought the women hunted the men," she stated dumbly.

"Sometimes," Hippolyta replied, "but not always. Half of being a good hunter and tracker is to be able to think like your quarry. We sometimes stimulate a male to desire one of us so desperately that they become violent and dangerous. They hunt us, and we have to evade and defeat them. Archer has been given a stimulant to make him go after the first female he sees. That female will be you, Major Donnelly. He will hunt you, and you will have to conquer or kill him."

Mairead's world seemed to literally tilt on her. If Dione hadn't moved to catch her, she would have smacked her head on the ground. Her legs gave out from under her, and she couldn't breathe. "You expect me to kill my best friend and captain?" she questioned in total disbelief.

"It may come to that," Hippolyta said with a gleam in her eye, "unless you can find a way to capture and contain him. He will not stop until he mates with you, even to the point of killing you in the process. You might have to take his life before he takes yours."

"You can't do this!" Reed exclaimed. He was imagining if it were him and Hoshi. He would die before he ever hurt her, just like he knew Captain Archer would never want to hurt Major Donnelly.

Lydia slunk up beside Malcolm. "Oh, but we can," she whispered in his ear.

Archer groaned on the ground and convulsed wildly for a moment. Then he went completely still. The guards retrieved Mairead from Dione and made sure she was right in Archer's line of sight as his eyes opened. They were red and bloodshot; filled with a dark desire. Mairead shook with dread at the lustful look in them. He took her in, one asset at a time: her beautiful blonde curls, her rosy peach skin, her stormy gray eyes, her luscious curves in the light blue dress, her shapely legs, and her petite form. She was perfection, and she was all for him. He wanted to claim her in every possible way a man could claim a woman. He wanted to feast on her body with his. Archer grinned wickedly and madly at her, licking his lips.

"Captain, you've got to fight against the stimulant! This isn't you!" Reed blurted out. Lydia punched him so hard that he saw stars for a moment. Kemper caught him, and then went to strike at Lydia. She activated his control chip and literally floored him.

"Jonny, are ya okay?" Mairead asked timidly. "Do ya know who I am?"

"I know exactly who you are, Mai," he said excitedly. "You're about the sexiest thing I've ever seen."

"I would run, Major," Hippolyta said to her. "Take the garden gate out into the woods and see if you can keep your friend from loving you to death. You will get no assistance from us. This is a test of your skills and abilities to stay one step ahead of this man."

As Mairead was released by the guards, she scrambled upright and fled the garden. This was not happening. Jonny was not going to chase her through a forest like the Big Bad Wolf, trying to devour her like Little Red Riding Hood. He'd never in his right mind try to harm her, but he wasn't in his right mind. He was under the influence of some kind of alien concoction. It would have to wear of eventually, right? All she had to do is stay out of his reach until the stimulant lost its zing, and then everything would be back to normal. She had had survival training, she knew how to evade enemy soldiers trying to capture her. She would simply employ those strategies to keep Jonny away from her. She could do that; the problem was that Jonny had also had all that training too and might just be able to outmaneuver her. This was such a nightmare.

"Where did Mai go?" Archer asked of those around him.

"She is playing a game with you, Archer," Hippolyta replied as if she were talking to a small child. "She wants you to chase her and find her. Then you can have her."

"A game of hide and seek, huh?" he responded. "That sounds like a lot of fun. When I find her, she won't know where she ends and I begin. I will do such wonderful things to her."

"Then go, Archer," Hippolyta encourage him. "Go hunt your mate." And the queen had the guards let him leave as well. He shot out of the garden gate with the speed of someone half his age. Mairead and her tantalizing body would be his. Even though his focus concentrated on one thing and one thing alone, he could still strategize and figure out ways to capture his sweet Mai.

"What have you done?" Reed gasped as he recovered from Lydia's punch.

"Provided us with some merry entertainment," Lydia said and laughed scornfully. "We can watch from the queen's observation room, and see what happens."

* * *

Andrus was rather pleased with himself. He had managed to locate and steal a cardiac stimulator from out of one of the first aid supply closets. His first thought had been to take it to Lieutenant Reed, but then he remembered he was with the Arterminian queen. That wouldn't work. Then he remembered the two crewmen in the kitchens Reed had briefly introduced him to last night; a Commander Tucker and Ensign Mayweather. If Andrus' memory served him right, it was Commander Tucker's idea to try and use the cardiac stimulator in the first place, so bringing it to him might be the best course of action.

The Betazoid had the piece of medical equipment hidden on a tray that was normally used for food, covered with a bunch of cloth napkins. Going to the kitchens would seem like a logical and reasonable thing he should be doing, so he shouldn't raise any suspicions. He was disappointed that he couldn't witness Mai first hunt. It would have been fun to see her use her soldiering skills to best any of the Arterminian warriors at the task, but he knew and understood that he was a key part of the escape plan's success, and he was hoping that he could impress Mai with its accomplishment.

He was feeling bad about embarrassing Mai so and putting her and Archer in an awkward situation, but it had been a long time since any female had made him feel as good as Mai did. He wanted to be an intimate part of her life, and vice versa. Keeping her and Archer separated was paramount to that happening. Andrus tried to push his guilt away and focus on the goal at hand.

The kitchens were always a flurry of activity for there were no real set times for meals. The kitchen staff had to continually be on call should any of the queen's household wish or desire something to eat. There were times when the queen had formal meals, but those were only a few times a week. Men and women were running around cooking and cleaning. Some were stirring stews, baking bread, sautéing various meats, cutting up fruits and vegetables, and some were washing and drying a myriad of dishes and utensils.

Andrus found Commander Tucker, a tall blonde and light skinned human and Ensign Mayweather, a sturdy looking and dark skinned human, washing a large assortment of pots and pans. They appeared to be taking their task serious, fully concentrating on making the dishes sparkle. Andrus smiled at the sight; it was funny what one could do when compelled.

Tucker spotted Andrus as he made his way over. "Hi ya," he said in his Southern drawl.

"I have a gift for you," Andrus said with a smirk.

"Really? And it ain't even my birthday," Trip quipped. "Whatcha got there?" he then asked.

"Something that may make all our wishes come true," Andrus said, not saying directly what it was.

Trip carefully lifted up some of the dark green napkins. A grin spread from ear to ear as he realized what it was. "I'll be damned," he whispered. "You actually got one."

"Yes," Andrus answered quietly, "Malcolm is with the queen, so he isn't in a position to try it out, but I thought since you were the engineer and all that, you could do something with it."

Travis smiled almost matched Trip's happy grin. "Oh, I think we can definitely do something with it," he said finally feeling some genuine hope again.

"Thanks for takin' the risk Tam," Trip said sincerely. "We really appreciate it."

"If it can get us out of here, it is worth the risk, Commander," he replied.

"Trip. Call me Trip," the chief engineer insisted, as he took the cardiac stimulator and began to examine it underneath a counter, out of sight.

"How high a setting do you think we can use?" Andrus asked with great curiosity. He could already sense the wheels of Tucker's mind starting to work out calculations.

"We should start low and work upward from there, just to be safe," Trip said thoughtfully. "I don't wanna damage myself or anyone else first shot out of the barrel, but we may need to get it up to a pretty high voltage to short these damn control chips out."

Andrus knew that Tucker would need a volunteer to try it out on. Tucker couldn't really use himself as a test subject because if something went wrong, they'd lose their technology expert. "You can test it on me," the Betazoid informed them.

"Thanks for the offer," Trip said. "We'll probably need to try it out on both you and Travis here." He gave Travis a smart-ass smile, trying to lighten the comment.

"At this point," Travis commented, "I'm willing to take the chance too. I want to get back to _Enterprise_ as soon as we can."

"We should go out back to the sanitation area," Andrus suggested. "If we take a few loads of waste and trash with us, it shouldn't look out of the normal."

"Great thinkin'," Trip said and started piling up bags of garbage. "Let's go."

Travis and Andrus went about gathering up trash cans and waste receptacles to take outside, along with Trip. When the trio got to the door, Andrus merely indicated all the garbage to the guard, and she allowed them to pass. After they had dumped all the garbage in compactors, Andrus turned them on. The noise and commotion would give them a little time.

Trip was already fiddling with the medical device and figured out it's settings and actual functions. He practiced firing it off a couple times too. "Okay, I think I got this worked out," he told them. "You ready to try it."

"How will we know if it worked or not?" Travis asked. "Don't we need one of the necklaces or gauntlets to test it out?"

"I thought of that," Andrus said, remembering that he had slipped Mai's necklace off her before she went on her hunt. If it was noticed missing, she would just say she couldn't bring herself to use it and took it off. She was willing to take whatever punishment that would cause her. Andrus again realized just how special a woman she was. He pulled it out of the waist of his dark brown leather pants. "Mai gave me hers."

Trip shook his head. "Way to go, Mai," he said softly. "I love it when we all work together," he said a little louder as he took the stag necklace from Andrus. "How do I know it is tuned to your control chip?" he then asked the Betazoid.

"That's a good question," Andrus said and thought for a moment. "Let me look at it." He took it back from Trip and examined it. On the reverse side was a little control screen with the names or nicknames of a select number of Arterminian male slaves, along with a code or number. He found a way to scroll to his name and select it. "They gave Mai a programmed list of chips she could activate. Mine is one of them, since I was put in her service. I think I set it to frequency for my chip. Try it and find out."

Trip hesitantly reclaimed the necklace and looked at Andrus. "Go ahead," the Betazoid told him. "Just don't push the button for very long."

"All right," Trip replied slowly. "Here it goes." He pressed the activation switch for just a split second, and then let go of it. Andrus jumped and cried out with an, "Ahhh!"

"It obviously works," Travis observed.

"Yeah, it did," Andrus said rubbing his neck, and then he shook out his arms.

"I think we're in business fellas," Trip said merrily.

TBC

**Now be kind this holiday season, and before you leave the chapter, tell me what you think about it. Please. And I want to wish everyone a very Happy Holidays (a Merry Christmas to those it applies to) and an exciting New Year!!!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**Rate T: For violence, language, and some slightly mature content.**

**A/N: Sorry for taking a while to update. I've been a little under the weather health wise, and the blah of January gives me the blues. ****Those things tend to make my creative muse retreat. :( Things are starting to get better, so I'm trying to get up and running again. I hope this chapter amuses readers as much as it amused me to write it. It deals with the details of the "hunt", Trip & friends working with the control chip problem, and the "Orions" arrive to barter with the Arterminians. The first part of the chapter is kind of intense with Mai and Jon, so the rest of the chapter is to move the plot along and be humorous as a bonus. And I make a little reference to my other story with Mai in it, "Somewhere in the Night". See if you can recognize it. Please enjoy!**

**Thanks to LadyRainbow for letting me run it pass her before I posted. She is always so helpful! :)**

**Chapter 11**

**More Than Friends**

Mairead was running as fast as her abused body would allow her. Her lungs were burning, and it was getting harder to breathe. Adrenaline was coursing through her bloodstream aiding her in her flight, but it wouldn't last much longer. Her legs hurt, and she felt stabbing pains in her abdomen. She couldn't believe she was running away from Jonny. Never in a million years would she have ever thought of her best friend and mentor as a threat, but what she had seen in his eyes terrified her. Part of her just wanted to let him take her and have his way with her; it was one of her little fantasies, but not like this. She had longed for Jonathan Archer to see her as more than a friend for a long time now, but not in the crazed state he was in at the moment; it wasn't him. And the way he had looked at her, like she was something he wanted to ravish, that was completely, bone-chillingly scary. So why did it excite her so much at the same time? She was running away from her own feelings as much as she was her captain.

_I haveta find a way to hide from him,_ Mairead thought to herself. In her condition, he'd catch up to her very quickly, and he'd certainly out last her.

As she was racing through the forest, Mairead noticed how tall and close many of the trees grew together. This forest was more like a rain forest, than a conifer one. Many of the trees branched out in all directions all the way up to their tops. Maybe she could climb up into the trees and make her way along up there. She would have to mask or hide her foot prints somehow, so Jonny wouldn't know that she'd stopped and gone up into them.

The ground in this forest was soft and trying to not leave footprints was extremely difficult. Mairead had taken off the fancy shoes she had had on, and run barefoot, but she was still leaving impressions in the soil. She had taken off one of the straps that Jonny had placed on the back of her dress and tied them to her shoulder sleeve. Now she hurriedly untied them and threw one in one direction as far as she could and the other in the opposite direction. Then she took and ripped each side of the dress from the bottom to her upper thigh. She couldn't climb in such a long dress without making some adjustments to it. With her legs now free of the confining fabric, she could climb a tree without too much difficulty.

She decided if she couldn't hide her footprints, she would try to make it look like she had run off deeper into the forest to try to throw Jonny off her trail. Then she would climb up into the canopy above and hope he didn't follow. She could hear him crashing through the bushes and undergrowth. He seemed to just be barreling after her.

After she backtracked her steps, she found a trunk with branches she could reach and began her ascent. It was not a moment too soon that as she disappeared up into the thick and heavily foliaged trees, when Jonny arrived in the area. He was breathing hard from his exertions. He stopped a moment to analyze her trail with his heightened senses. Mai's tracks seemed to continue to go deeper into the woods, but something made him hesitate to follow the obvious path. Mairead was trying to steady her own breathing, so he wouldn't hear her up above him. She was silently urging him to move on, to follow the footprints she had left for him. _Come on, Jonny, come on! _she thought at him. _Jist keep goin'._

Archer knew he had been almost right on top of his target. Then suddenly she seemed to be way out ahead of him again. Mai was fast, but not that fast, especially after the beating she had received yesterday. She was trying to fool him, he could sense it, but where did she go? There was no sign of her anywhere else.

"Mai! Oh, Mairead, sweetheart!" he called out to her, feeling that she was close by somewhere. "Come out, come out where ever you are. I _will_ find you, and when I do…."

He kept imagining the night at Monroe's cabin, when they had come so close to making love. He remembered the roaring fire in the old-fashioned fireplace, the savory smell of cooking meat, and the sweet sounds of crooning Christmas music. He thought about Mai snuggling up to him to keep him warm with only towels and blankets separating them. He swore he could feel her fiery body heat, her soft and silky flesh, and her breath as it had caressed his skin. When they'd kissed, he'd tasted her full and sugary lips, and he wanted nothing more than to taste them again. It was driving him nuts. He had to have her!

Mairead stilled herself the best she could. He wasn't falling for her ruse. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest she thought it would explode. She kept trying to will him onward and away from her. "Where are you? Oh, Mai, things I want to do to you," he rasped. His words made her shiver.

He continued to study the landscape around him. He knew his quarry well, knew how she thought. She always liked to have the higher ground in a tactical situation. He noticed the trees and their many branches, interlocking with one another. _Could she possibly have gone up there? That's a distinct possibility_. Archer debated whether or not to go up. If he did and she wasn't up there, he would waste valuable time and let her gain a lot of ground on him. If he didn't go up and she was up there, then she'd find a way to completely hide away from him. He didn't like either option.

"I'm coming to get you, Mai!" he exclaimed as he launched himself up a tree close to the one Mairead was trying to conceal herself in.

_Bollocks_, Mairead cursed internally. _Jonny knows me way too well_. _I've got ta get way from here._ She chose to bolt into another tree and continue traveling that way until she just couldn't go on any more. She couldn't just sit there and let him get so close.

Archer heard the rustle of the branches and leaves, before he saw a blue streak move within them. _So the little Irish minx is up here,_ he thought wickedly to himself. _I have her now._ He caught on to what she was doing; using the long interlocking branches to go from tree to tree. He could do that too, and his strides would make two of hers. He'd close the distance between them very swiftly. Archer sprang forward, careful to watch where his feet went.

"I can see you, Mai," he yelled to her. "It won't be long now, sweetheart."

"Please, Jonny, stay away from me!" she pleaded, knowing that he was gaining on her.

"Why would I not want something as tantalizing as you?" he questioned.

"Yer not thinkin' straight," she called back to him. "Ya don't really want me that way. We're best friends."

He was almost on her, just a few more branches. "I've always thought of you as more than just a friend, Mai," his said with a very husky voice. There she was in the middle of the thick tree branch in front of him.

"Don't make me haveta hurt ya, Jonny," she sobbed. "I will defend meself." _What did he jist say ta me? Could that be more of the stimulant talkin' or is he serious? _She couldn't let herself think like that; it was silly school girl stuff.

_Why is she threatening to hurt me? All I want to do is make love to her, until we're both were spent_, Archer was thinking. He wanted to be lost in the warmth of Mai's body moving in time with his. The kiss in the bathroom was still fresh on his mind. Mai _had_ kissed him back; he knew he hadn't imagined it. She wanted him as well. _So why is she playing this game?_

As he reached out to grab her, she blocked his move and kicked him viciously in the chest. He staggered backwards into the tree's trunk. "So you want to play rough, huh sweetheart? That's fine by me." He lunged forward again, but came in under her block. His hand latched onto one of her arms, and he pulled her to him.

Mairead turned just so in his grip, broke loose, and cuffed him in the head. She was trying to hurt him and not hurt him at the same time. She wanted to cause him enough pain to make him back off, but she didn't want to maim or seriously injured him. He then decided to bull rush her and overwhelm her with his size. He put so much force into it that he crushed her against another tree trunk. Her breath was knocked out of her, stunning her for a moment.

"Oh, Mai," he breathed as he let his mouth caress her neck and down her chest.

"Stop it, Jonny!" she wheezed at him. She ran her nails along his arms. He gasped in pain as she drew blood and stumbled back away from her. She was fighting back the tears, weeping silently.

"That really hurt, Mai," he growled at her. "You need to just relax, honey. I don't want to hurt you; I just want to make love to you." He started back toward her.

"No ya don't, Jonny. That's the stimulant talkin'. We're jist friends," she tried to get through to him again. When it was obvious he wasn't going to back down, she took up a defensive stance again.

"What are you doing, Mai?" Archer asked her like he thought she was being silly.

"Jist stay back!" she warned him.

He, of course, didn't listen. As he advanced on her, she kicked out at him again with a side blade kick aimed at his rib cage. He blocked the move with his own leg, intertwining them. She went to throw a right knuckle punch at him, but he again expertly blocked it, intertwining their arms. They were now linked together. Mairead tried not to panic. Jonny knew her fight moves, how she liked to do hand-to-hand combat, and she was slower than normal because of all her sore muscles. She became desperate. Finally, seeing no other choice, she purposely let her other foot slip off the tree branch. Both of them went over the edge, as they were hooked together, and gravity pulled them down. Mairead anticipating the motion found another branch to grab onto before she fell too far, and she was free of Archer. He, on the other hand, didn't see the move coming and fell all the way to the ground. Luckily, a large and feathery bush broke his fall.

As he lay there recovering, an idea to get his hands on her, even after all this, sprung into his mind. He would play up bring injured. He knew his Mai couldn't resist coming to his aid if she thought he was really hurt. He smiled roguishly to himself. "Oh God, Mai, I think I broke my leg!" he cried out to her.

Mairead had just gotten herself better situated on a lower branch of the tree when she heard Jonny's cry. He was moaning and groaning like he was in real pain_. Did I really cause him ta break his leg? Or is he jist playin' on my compassionate side?_ It was a tough call.

"Please, Mai," he pretended to sob. "Don't leave me here like this. You've got to help me get back to the gardens."

_Bloody, bloody hell! _she exclaimed in her mind. She was damned if she went and helped him and he was faking it, and she was damned if she fled and left him there really injured. She couldn't just leave him like that, but then again, maybe she could. This had to count as conquering him, if he was hurt. She could go back and get Hippolyta to send a medical team back to help him. If he wasn't hurt, he'd just run after her again.

"I'm sorry, Jonny, but I can't help ya," she had to force herself to say the words. "I'll send back help fer ya, all right?"

"Mai! Mai! Please don't leave me here! Help me!" he begged. _Shit, she isn't falling for this. What do I do now?_ he thought, racking his brain for a back up plan.

His plea sounded so earnest. It pricked her to her core. _What if he's really hurt and somethin' happens ta him while I'm runnin' back ta the Arterminians? _She couldn't live with herself if something did. She was going to have to at least check on him. "Okay, okay, Jonny," she bit out. "I'll take a look at ya. Don't move."

Archer was thrilled that she was taking the bait. He would strike out and pin her to the ground, and then…. "Thanks, Mai," he said faking relief.

Mairead slowly climbed down and cautiously approached him. His right leg was bent under him at an awkward angle, she noticed as she got closer. It looked like he could really be hurt. Jonny seemed to be hyperventilating too; a sure sign that he was in deep pain. What Mairead didn't realize was his rapid breathing wasn't from pain, but excitement. He was trying to make his eager pants seem like they were something else.

"Oh, Mai, I think it's really a bad break," he whined. "Please help me."

She crept closer to try and see his leg better, and she circled him a couple times, just out of his reach. He loved that she wasn't foolish, but that she was falling for his deception. A few more feet and he'd be able to get her. Mairead hesitantly took those steps. He pounced, using the "broken" leg to push up off the ground with great speed. He tackled her to the ground, but she wouldn't stay still. She fought back against him causing them to roll several times.

As they rolled he got a good hold on the front of her dress and tore it. He had to get that dress off of her. That seemed to make Mairead redouble her efforts. She elbowed him in his gut and tried to roll out of his grip. He wasn't about to let her go so easily. He finally stopped them from rolling and using a hold that would make any wrestler proud, pinned her underneath him.

"No, Jonny, please," she whimpered as he kissed her neck and down her chest again, now getting at more skin because of the rip in the dress. The more she squirmed the more he moaned. His weight was making any movement nearly impossible. She tried getting a hand free, but he would have none of it. He then tried to savagely kiss her; she bit his lip as hard as she could.

"Damn it, Mai!" he cursed as she drew blood. "Stop fighting me. Am I not good enough to be your lover or something?" he suddenly demanded. "You married a cretin like Tom Branson and made out with an alien, but you won't let me touch you. I've wanted you for over ten years, Mai," he then confessed to her suddenly. "When you married Tom I'd thought I'd go insane. How could you have married that bastard, Mai? What was wrong with _me_? Why didn't you want _me_?" His aggressiveness was suddenly gone; his actions turning tenderer. He stroked her face softly with the back of one of his hands, letting his body weight hold her in place.

Mairead blanched at Archer's words. _Did I jist hear him right? _she silently wondered. She had to do a double take as she looked at him, blinking rapidly. "What did ya jist say, Jonny?" she asked in a soft voice, her resistance temporarily on hold.

"I'm in love with you Mairead Donnelly," he blurted out. "I have been for years. It broke my heart when you married Tom. You two had nothing in common, not like we did. We were perfect for each other, Mai. What did Tom have that I didn't?" He lightly ground his hips against hers to emphasis his point, and to hopefully get a positive response out her.

"Oh, Jonny, is this really you talkin' or the stimulant?" Mairead asked with a shaky voice, trying not to like the sensations Archer was causing all throughout her body. She really didn't want to resist this, but it wasn't real; at least that was what she kept telling herself.

"I love you Mai, please believe me," he beseeched her and slid his arms around her waist, ceasing to pin her to the ground. He was now just holding her. "I've been so afraid to tell you that, but I can't deny it any longer. I'm lost without you." He was sobbing now, and Mairead found herself hugging him to her and comforting him by her hands rubbing his smooth, bare back. His body was warm on top of hers; his chest hair giving her goose bumps.

"Oh my God, Jonny," Mairead breathed. "Yer serious." _Could it be true, after all these years, we've both been so stupid?_ "I've been in love with ya since the moment I met ya, but I thought ya always saw me as like a younger sister or somethin'. I could never find the courage ta tell ya how I really felt. I only married Tommy because I thought ya didn't want me," her confession came tumbling out of her mouth.

As if to prove her statement wrong, he kissed her then, long, hard, and deep. He held nothing back, but poured his entire self into the kiss. Mairead stopped resisting him altogether, holding him tighter, kissing him just as passionately. Years of denial boiled over and ignited a bonfire in both of them. Mairead suddenly couldn't get enough of him, or he of her. She wanted him to roll in the hay with her until they were both senseless. Her fear was gone; all she wanted was her strong and powerful Jonny. "Make love to me, Jonny," she moaned into his ear. "And don't hold back. I'll take it all."

At her words, he increased his motions, grinding his hips against hers again, causing him to moan. She thought she was moaning along with him. This was not how she ever pictured it, but right now Captain Jonathan Archer was all hers. His hands started to caress her curves, and then her upper thighs. She was going to let this happen; full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes. They had years of missed opportunities to make up for; most notably the night at Monroe's cabin. If that had played out as it should have, she might be Mrs. Jonathan Archer instead of Mrs. Thomas Branson.

"I do love ya, Jonny. I truly do," she said as he came back up to her mouth with his. It didn't take long after her declaration for Mairead to learn that reality was so much better than any fantasy she'd ever had.

* * *

Andrus was holding his breath as Trip applied the cardiac stimulator to his neck. "Now this is gonna hurt like a sonvabitch," Trip warned him, echoing what Lieutenant Reed had said earlier. Andrus couldn't help but smile at Trip's turn of phrase. Malcolm had done a perfect imitation of the Southerner. It helped to calm Andrus' rising fear, but not for very long.

"Just get it over with then," Andrus snapped because he was really scared out of his mind. He was starting to rethink being a volunteer for this little experiment.

"I'm gonna start off with 50 joules and see what that does. Then we'll increase the power level if we need too," Trip calmly explained. "I'm not sure how much power it will take to fry the little sucker."

Andrus just nodded his response, afraid to speak. Trip set the electrodes on each side of the Betazoid's neck, and then fired the machine off. Andrus jerked and had to clench his jaw to keep from crying out. They didn't want to attract any more attention than necessary. Travis caught the young man as his legs buckled. He sagged in the ensign's arms.

"Hey, Andrus, buddy, you okay?" Trip asked.

"Oh, yes, I'm a big fan of electrical shock therapy," Andrus answered snidely.

"He seems fine," Travis commented. "Should we try the necklace, and see if it works?

"By all means torture me some more," Andrus said sarcastically.

Trip fingered the necklace turning on the control chip and turning it back off just as quickly. Andrus did cry out this time with an "Uhh,ahh!"

"Damn that didn't do it," Trip cursed when it was obvious the control chip was still functioning.

"Why don't you try a high power level on me?" Travis inquired. "That way, Andrus' body can have a chance to recover from all the trauma we're causing it."

Andrus gave Travis a weak smile. "Thank you," his said softly and gratefully.

"Sounds like a good idea, Travis," Trip agreed. "You ready for 100 joules?"

"No," Travis deadpanned, "but I guess I'll have to be."

Trip went through the same procedure again with Travis. When Travis shook and howled when the necklace was activated, they knew that they need to go still higher on the power level. "Sorry, Travis," Trip said earnestly.

"You weren't lying when you said it would hurt," Travis said dryly as he tried to catch his breath.

"I guess I'm up, huh?" Andrus said getting to his feet again. He had needed to sit down for a minute to recuperate. "150 joules next?"

"Ya," was all Trip said.

"Okay," Andrus replied. "Go again."

Trip increased the power level and shocked Andrus' neck once again. This time Andrus couldn't help but cry out, and he shook violently for a second. He met the ground a moment later. "Sorry," Trip said, feeling horrible.

"I'll be fine," Andrus moaned from the soft dirt.

Trip quietly activated the necklace again. Andrus didn't react at all to it. "Are you going to try the necklace once more?" the Betazoid then asked, his face still to the ground.

The chief engineer smiled. "I just did." Then he questioned, "You didn't feel it?"

"I guess not," Andrus replied, finally looking up at Trip with a grim smile of his own.

"150 joules seems to do the trick," Travis commented, also grinning widely.

"The third times the charm," was Trip's glib statement. "Let's see if we can duplicate it on you, Travis."

"Okay," the helmsman said, "but then turn around's fair play. We get to zap you, Commander."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you've gotta sadistic streak in you, Travis?" Trip said dryly.

Travis just continued to grin at his superior. Andrus was finally able to sit up again. "I have to agree, Trip," the alien said. "It is only fair that you get to experience the same thing we both did." He was trying not to laugh now.

"That's the thanks I get for solvin' the problem?" Trip said faking being put out.

"You get what you give," Andrus said mock serious.

"Let's hurry and get this done, gentlemen," Travis said, getting back down to business. "Then we need to find a way to disable some more of the crew's chips. And we need to report to Malcolm or the Captain so we can decide what to do next."

"Aye, aye, Ensign," Trip joked, just happy to have succeeded in progressing one step closer to their freedom.

When Travis had recovered from the electrocution of his control trip, Trip tried the necklace and was met with no reaction from the ensign. Travis repeated the procedure on Trip who yelped and collapsed on the ground. "Shit on a shingle, that was nasty," he cursed when it was all over. He, too, was free of the control chip. "Now how can we do this to more of the crew?" was his question for Andrus and Travis.

"I'm to report to the gladiator arena area to help prep a match, while Major Donnelly is wrapping up her hunt," Andrus informed the chief engineer. "The queen wanted her to watch a match after the negotiation with the Orion Syndicate representatives."

"Say that again?" Trip demanded suddenly. "Did you just say the Orion Syndicate?"

"Yes," Andrus replied confused. "Do you know of them?"

"That we do," Travis chimed in, "and our encounter with them was not a pleasant one. They are almost as bad as the Arterminians."

Andrus saw the situation a different way. "This meeting will be a great distraction. The palace staff and guards will all be concentrating on putting on a go show for them. It will offer us our chance to continue with the escape plan without the Arterminians full attention on us; their focus will be elsewhere."

"Do you think you could get to some of our people that went to the gladiatorial arena? I heard rumors that many of our military MACOs were assigned to go there," Trip said, catching on to what Andrus was thinking.

"As did I," Andrus confirmed for Trip. "I was thinking I could try and get to them and get them free of their control chips. Then work on freeing your captain and Lieutenant Reed, when they weren't in such close quarters with the queen and Lydia."

Travis put his two cents in. "If we had most of the MACOs control trips deactivated we might be able to overpower some guards and get some weapons. Then we'd be in a better position to find a way to force the Arterminians to release all our crew. I've never been one to want to take hostages, but maybe we could get hold of the queen and demand our people's release for her return to her people safe and sound."

"We really wouldn't have to hurt her," Trip supplied, "just make 'em think we would."

"Exactly," Travis commented.

"It is a very risky plan, gentlemen, but I don't see any other options at the moment," Andrus concluded. "I'm in." The confidence and determination he felt in these humans was contagious and emboldening to him. Andrus decided he rather die trying to fight for his freedom than remain a slave in captivity any longer. His soul couldn't bear it much more of it. And it meant that Mai would be that much more within his grasp. For the first time since his capture, Andrus actually dared to hope to go home. He was certainly glad these humans had come along. They were truly a marvelous people.

* * *

Hoshi had never been so relieved to see Lieutenant Malcolm Reed alive and in sexy, brown leather shorts before. His trim and well-maintained body was a very welcome sight. Even the sight of him on the end of a leash was somewhat compelling, but only for a split second. She had been standing not fifteen feet away from him for almost twenty minutes now, and he had yet to show any recognition of her. Malcolm had instantly recognized Navaar, D'Nesh, and Maras when the four of them had waltzed into the Arterminian queen's observation room. His spine had gone rigid with what Hoshi interpreted as dread, but as the female Orions' pheromones kicked in he slowly relaxed. As did Sergeant Nate Kemper, who was with Malcolm.

The communications officer was deep in her act as a new addition to the 'infamous trio', as First Commander Lydia had called them when they had first arrived. Hoshi was supposedly a cousin of the three sisters, Raina. The Arterminians had seemed to have no problem with her presence, and they had accepted Navaar's request to let their company of Orion females-in-training have a guided tour around the palace, for now. It was Hoshi's goal to get the Arterminians to allow the "girls" to have a tour of more than just the palace. D'Nesh and Maras had gone with the "girls", leaving Hoshi and Navaar to deal with the queen and Lydia.

_Queen Hippolyta is beautiful_, Hoshi thought upon seeing the hot pink skinned, blonde Arterminian female, but the beauty was only skin deep; Hippolyta had a very ugly side to her. Her will to dominate men knew no bounds, and her pride in her society knew no limits.

"And so you've induced Captain Archer into a state where he is hunting, this Major Donnelly, you've been telling me about?" Navaar said in her alluring voice. Hoshi couldn't believe it. She was hoping that Major Donnelly could stay one step ahead of Archer, because if she didn't…well, that could be very bad, it sounded like. That was a situation that needed to be dealt with quickly.

"Do you think Archer will succeed?" Hippolyta asked of Navaar. "Will he capture his prey?" She took a sip of some kind of fruity drink, a male servant had brought the four of them.

They were all standing, leaning on a crystalline railing, watching digital image and sound feeds from deep within the rain forest surrounding the queen's palace. Once the two humans had disappeared up into the trees, visual contact had been lost, at least for the time being. Hippolyta assured everyone, the show would continue, once the humans left the thick foliage of the trees. Then they could what the drama unfold once more. Malcolm and Kemper were off to one side for the moment.

Navaar had explained to the Arterminian women her run-in with Archer and his crew, and how happy she was someone had caught him and put him in his place. Lydia had snidely remarked it took more than pheromones and charm to put men in their place, as the Orions tried to do. Navaar gave her a slight scowl in response.

"The human male is quite resilient," Navaar commented with disinterest, "but lacking in any real substance. He tried resisting me, but in the end, he succumbed like all males do. Now, are we going to continue to talk about tediums of the past, or can we move on to our current negotiations?" Hoshi could tell that Navaar was trying to sound bored and impatient, but subtle signs in the Orion's body language made Hoshi realize that Navaar very much wanted to know more about what was going on with Captain Archer than she was letting on.

"Yet, he and his crew seemed to have slipped out of your grasp, Navaar," Hippolyta pressed, not accepting Navaar's attempt to change the topic of conversation.

"Only because one of their male crew members seemed to be immune to us, and he, along with their women were able to take the ship back from us," Navaar snapped, flaring with anger. "That has never happened before, and it won't happen again."

Lydia jumped back into the discussion. "Which male crewmen was it?" she asked with great curiosity. "We will need to give him special attention," she added menacingly.

Navaar understood what the Arterminian woman was saying. "And what will the retribution cost me?' she inquired with a raise of one of her nicely shaped, black eyebrows.

"A few of those large men of yours," Lydia replied very bluntly.

"I might be able to find you a few," Navaar said after some thought. "His name was Tucker, I believe," she then revealed who it was that had ruined her carefully laid plans.

"Ah, yes," Lydia said recognizing Trip's name. "He's working in the kitchens. I'll make sure he gets a hardier and more laborious assignment. He won't know what hit him."

"I thank you," Navaar said, with what Hoshi decided was fake gratitude. "It is nice to know we share the same sense of justice."

"We can't have any men making fools of us, as women," Hippolyta broke back in. "We may be competitors and rivals at times, but your species understands the power of women very well. We can't help but want to honor that."

Hoshi thought she was going to gag. _This woman really doesn't know what men are really all about. These people are so blinded by their prejudices._

"You are quiet, young one," Hippolyta now spoke to Hoshi. "Do you have anything to say?"

Hoshi, with coaching from Navaar had, found a way to make her voice as soft and seductive as any Orion female. She spoke that way now. "I'm simply observing my teacher. Her wisdom and experience have allowed her to achieve such success that I'm content to just listen. Then, when she feels I'm ready, she'll let me take the lead."

"You have a choice pupil in this one, Navaar," Hippolyta commented. "I'm impressed with your charge. She's seems like a worthy student. How is she in the seductive arts?"

Hoshi tried not to gulp; she had a bad feeling where this new discussion was going. Navaar gave the ensign a coy look, but underneath Hoshi saw urgency from the Orion to make sure her act was believable.

"Oh, that is one area that she excels in," Navaar responded. "It is business sense that she is having difficulty with."

"Could she take one of these human males right now?" Lydia now asked. "Bend one to her will?"

"I suppose she could demonstrate her prowess in that way," Navaar said slowly, "if you wish."

"Since our current entertainment is on hold," Hippolyta said, gesturing to the lack of images of Archer and Donnelly, "we might as well indulge in another type. Then we can discuss the trade and territory disputes your superiors in the Syndicate sent you here to negotiate with us."

"Aren't you worried that now that you can't see them, that they will escape?" Hoshi found herself questioning. She wanted to know if her captain and the MACO major had any chance of freeing themselves.

"There are plenty of women warriors and guards out there to prevent that from happening," Lydia assured her. "And there is an energy barrier they'd run into before they could get very far. It surrounds the palace and its encompassing forest. Besides, Archer will only have one thing on his mind, and Major Donnelly will be too concerned with keeping away from him. So we have no reason to worry."

Hippolyta decided she'd rather be safe than sorry. "Dione," she called to her chief handmaiden, who was sitting at a dark, wooden desk with a datapad.

"Yes, my queen," she answered obediently.

"Go check with the lieutenant on duty for monitoring the hunt, and make sure everything is progressing the way it should," the queen quietly ordered.

"At once, Your Majesty," said Dione quickly, and rushed out the door to follow the command.

Navaar gave Hoshi another urgent look, masked by a sly one, while the brief exchange had been going on. "Go ahead, Raina, and pick a human to play with," she prompted. "You'll find humans are very easy to seduce."

If Hoshi had her original skin color she knew she'd be blushing a scarlet red. Instead, her even though her cheeks were burning with embarrassment, they went a deep shade of green. If Navaar really expected her to try and seduce a human male, Hoshi had two choices in front of her: Nate or Malcolm. _Does Navaar know about my feelings towards Malcolm? How could she? I've never fully admitted them to myself. Is she reading something in my body language? Have I been staring at Malcolm too much? Does she think I can somehow talk Malcolm into playing along?_

Navaar stood up and walked over to Lieutenant Reed. "You remember I and my sisters don't you, Malcolm," she cooed to him.

Despite everything he'd been telling himself about how much he couldn't stand Orions, he found himself drawn to Navaar. His head was swimming, and his body was tingling the closer she got. "Yes," was all he could get out.

"Come here, Raina," Navaar softly ordered Hoshi.

Very reluctantly, Hoshi approached Navaar and Malcolm. Even though, Hoshi was nervous and self-conscious about the situation, the linguist in her picked up on what Navaar was doing. She was standing close enough to Malcolm to give him a good dose of her pheromones to set the situation up for Hoshi. It would be Hoshi's job to get Malcolm to recognize her, without the Arterminians being any the wiser, and then get Malcolm to play along.

"This is Raina," Navaar told Malcolm in her honey sweet voice.

Reed's eyes had lost some of their focus, falling into Navaar's trance. He had to mentally shake himself to look at the other Orion coming to stand next to her. She seemed vaguely familiar to him, though he didn't know why. He knew that she hadn't been with the sisters the time they had tried to take over the_ Enterprise_. Still, something about her face and they way she moved, reminded him of somebody.

"Raina, I'd like you to meet, Malcolm," Navaar spoke so soothingly. "I think you'll find him an interesting human specimen."

It was now or never; Hoshi had to act the part. All her crewmates' lives were depending upon how convincing of an Orion she could be. "Oh, he is more than interesting, cousin. He is delicious-looking," she let the cadence of her words match how Navaar had spoken; it was a fair imitation. Hoshi had come to stand behind Malcolm, and she ran a hand up his back and down his right bicep and arm. She moved so that it would be very easy for Malcolm to wrap his arm around her. Nate stood there through it all, clearly uncomfortable.

The new Orion female's voice was hauntingly musical. Malcolm caught a whiff of her scent; lilies or something like them. She started to fill up his senses. Her touch was electric, giving him goose bumps. Then he felt her warm body press up against his. _Bloody hell, this isn't fair! _his mind screamed. His steel spine was turning to jelly.

Hoshi gently eased herself so her lips were close to one of his ears. She nibbled on it lightly, trying to look convincing. To her surprise, she thought she heard Malcolm's breath hitch. That was both good and bad; good in that what she was doing looked real, and bad because maybe it was working too well. She had to tell him who she really was.

"Malcolm," she whispered right in his ear, "its, Hoshi. We're here to rescue you, but I need you to play along for a little bit."

She felt Malcolm freeze in shock. He'd heard and understood her. Then their eyes met. She saw something in them she couldn't quite read. Was it fear or desire? Both worried her. Hoshi didn't want Malcolm to know how she felt about him, not like this anyway. She was concerned he wouldn't feel the same, and that she would make a big fool out of herself. On the other hand, it was a little scary and exciting to think that maybe he did feel the same. _How did I get myself into this? _she wondered.

Malcolm was stunned, ecstatic, but stunned. The sexy, lithe Orion leaning so seductively into him was Hoshi. It was almost as if some bizarre fantasy of his had come true. That made his head swim much more than the Navaar's pheromones had. Hoshi was his friend, but he'd always wondered if there'd ever be more between them. Whereas, he knew he had a crush on Major Donnelly, what he felt every time he was around Hoshi was different. They had a deep connection; she was the one person who could get him to open up, even if it was just a peek into who he was. He'd always felt protective of her. She worked so hard to overcome her fears, and he really admired that. She always strove to do her best, no matter how afraid she could be. And she was just so sweet and kind. And on some level she made him feel safe, at least emotionally.

"Will you play along?" she suddenly asked him, bring him back to the here and now. "I know it is a lot to ask, but --," he cut her off by turning his head so her lips brushed his, instead of his ear.

Hoshi tried to remain in control; her heart beating like that of a humming bird. She found herself slipping one of her arms around his waist, turning his body toward hers. Then she kissed him; not timidly or awkwardly, however. Her kiss was full of passion and yearning.

Malcolm returned it without hesitation, deepening it. Hoshi tasted sweet, fruity almost. _Must be her drink,_ he thought randomly. Whatever it was, he liked it, and wanted more of it. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her closer. Each place his skin touched hers seemed to be on fire. This was spiraling out of control, but for once he didn't care.

She broke the kiss, pulling abruptly away from him. He didn't like the loss of contact, and he tried to pull her back to him. With the grace of a ninja, she slid out of his grasp. "Humans are simple creatures aren't they?" she asked of no one in particular. Malcolm finally remember this was an act; it wasn't real, just a show for the aliens. He let Hoshi go, although he longed to have more of her.

"Well, done my dear," Navaar congratulated her, watching Malcolm respond to Hoshi with a wicked grin. _Yes, humans were simple creatures, but sometimes they didn't see what was right in front of them without a little push,_ she thought, and then said aloud, "You have just enthralled your first human. He will do anything you suggest now."

Even Hippolyta looked impressed, but she whined, "You may have just ruined my new toy."

"Oh, the effects will wear off," Hoshi told her with sly satisfaction, "eventually." She didn't like the idea that the queen thought of Malcolm as her toy.

She then shared a knowing laugh with Navaar. Hoshi suddenly had an idea to help get Malcolm out of here and in a position to help in the rescue/escape plan. If she could convince the queen to let her "have" Malcolm for a little while, Navaar could disable his control chip, and he'd be free. Navaar seemed to share the same thoughts.

"I think, Raina has earned the right to do with the male human as she pleases," Navaar said. "She entertained you and proved that I am an excellent instructor. A few hours with the human would be good experience for her."

Hippolyta protested with a childish pout, "He was to be mine tonight."

"Why don't you pick on Tucker, Queen Hippolyta," Navaar suggested. "He would be adequate for your needs, and you could punish him for me."

Lydia also had a suggestion. "This Kemper is not a bad lover, my queen," she said. "He kept up with me all night." Nate blushed furiously at the compliment.

Hippolyta, liking all the attention, gave in. "I'll have them both then," she said with delight. "Two for the price of one, will be acceptable, Navaar. You're student can play with Reed, but only for a short time. Then he is mine again."

"Certainly, Hippolyta," Navaar said, giving a little bow. "Once the pheromones wear off, he will be as good as new for you." Then she turned to Hoshi. "Go, Raina, have your fun. I will discuss the business aspects of our visit with you later. Right now, you need to cultivate what you are most gifted at." With that said, she threw Hoshi a small bag she had removed from her belt. "I trust you know what to do with those?" she queried Hoshi meaningfully. Inside the little bag, were a number of transponders for transporting the crew back to _Enterprise_ when that phase of the plan was ready. Hoshi also felt the device Navaar had shown her that would disable, or inactive the men's control chips.

Again, Hoshi felt her cheeks burning at all that was being said meant, but she quickly recovered herself. Navaar had just provided her with the perfect opportunity to save her friends and crew; she wasn't going waste it because she was embarrassed. She grabbed Malcolm by his leash and started to lead him away. A few of the queen's guards followed them, to escort them to some quarters.

Malcolm was trying to wrap his head around what had just happened, and was trying to control his reaction to Hoshi's warm and exciting touch. A part of him couldn't help but wish that Hoshi was really taking him to have her way with him. It was a stupid and very unprofessional thought, when he knew that his captain and crew needed saving from this hellhole, but he had it nonetheless.

TBC

**I couldn't keep Mai and Jon apart any longer, so I finally let nature take its course. What will be the outcome of their encounter? Will the crew, with the help of the Orions, actually escape their Arterminian captivity? And I couldn't resist the Sato/Reed connection. The situation just called for me to do something with them. Let me know what you think. Things are building up and getting closer to coming to a conclusion. :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**Rated T: For some romantic situations and language.**

**A/N: I know I've taken a long time to update this story. Life has been intruding lately on my writing time. Also, since I'm nearing the end of this story, maybe two more chapters after this one, I feel I need to make the action and interaction of characters as realistic as possible, and that takes a lot of thought and effort on my part. There are a lot of little things to consider to bring all the different branches of this story together effectively and enjoyably for my readers. Readers might need to go back and read chapter 11, and then read this one because of my slowness to post it. I tried to work the situation out with Mai and Archer reasonably, but happily too. I also tried to have some fun with Malcolm and Hoshi, so I hope it goes over well. Please let me know how I'm doing with this story. Reviews help to keep me going. :)**

**Thanks go to LadyRainbow for all her suggestions and her time in finding and correcting my mistakes. She rocks!!!! Have a good read!!!!**

**Chapter 12**

**What Happens Now?**

Mairead and Archer were secluded deep in the foliage and undergrowth of the forest floor. They were completely tangled up in one another, trying to use what was left of Mairead's dress to cover themselves. Both of them were still reeling from the exhilaration of being together. It had happened not once, but twice between them, and Archer was beginning the process all over again as he began to kiss Mairead soundly.

"Enough, Jonny," she begged him. "I'm exhausted."

Archer had to agree with her, he was getting worn out himself, but the temptation to be with Mai again was still very strong. "Sorry," he apologized, "I can't seem to get enough of you. I haven't hurt you, have I?"

"Not at all, lad," she told him, snuggling into him. "I've never felt so good. How are ya feelin' now?"

"Like a complete letch," he answered, turning more sorrowful. "I can believe I behaved like that, Mai. You must think I'm a total ass."

Mairead laughed richly at him. It was a musical sound to Archer's ears; Mai was obviously not mad at him. "I don't think badly about ya, Jonny. I jist can't believe it took this dire situation fer us ta be honest with each other."

"Did you really mean all that you said before, Mai? That potion had my mind pretty muddled. I just want to make sure I understood what you said," Archer said, intently looking into to her blue-gray eyes.

"Every word of it, Jonny," Mairead replied as she blushed. "I fell in love with ya the moment I met ya. I had such a crush on ya, Jonny. You were Starfleet's golden boy; the famous Henry Archer's son. And, ya were such a fine lookin' man, Jonny. As I got to know ya through me brother Fergus, yer strength of character made ya all that much more appealin'."

Archer brushed a stray lock of Mairead's blonde hair out of her face. "So why didn't you say anything to me about it?" he asked her softly.

"Are ya kiddin' me?!" Mairead exclaimed. "I wasn't about ta tell ya any of that! You would've thought I was some moony school girl or somethin'. Hell, that's what I was. You were quite a bit older than meself, and I thought I wasn't in yer league. It came as a delightful surprise when ya wanted ta mentor me. I saw it as a way ta spend a lot of time with ya. The more I was around ya; the more I found meself in love with ya, Jonny. I was always scared ta let any of me deeper feelin's show. We became such good friends; I didn't want to ruin that by pushin' fer anythin' more."

"Oh Mai, sweetheart, how could I be so blind?" Archer asked, frustrated with himself. "I was so wrapped up in how I felt and hid my feelings from you for almost the exact same reasons. It was nice to find a woman that I had so much in common with and could relate to so well. We always seemed to be on the same wavelength. You were so excited to learn and had such natural leadership talent. I cherished our friendship, but one day I suddenly realized I wanted more than that from you. I thought that you were out of my league, being many years your senior. I didn't think you'd consider an old man like me worth much compared to all the young bucks that flocked around you. I didn't want to risk our friendship either by pushing for more."

Archer couldn't stop himself from kissing her passionately again and again, trying to make up for the stupidity he felt. Mairead's mouth met his with just as much fervor. She couldn't help letting herself slide along his body as well. He was no old man in her eyes.

"We have ta stop, Jonny," Mairead said with a breathy voice as she broke their contact. "We can't afford to git lost in each other again, no matter how much I'd love ta."

"You're right," Archer agreed, but found himself kissing her chin and down her neck. Then he asked some more serious questions. "Why did you leave Starfleet, Mai? Why did you want to impress Tom Branson so much, if you really didn't love him? Or did you?"

Mairead caressed Archer's face and trace his lips were her fingers. "Because I was an imbecile," she stated. "In a backward way, I was tryin' ta git a reaction outta ya, Jonny. I was hopin' ya'd fight for me; that by goin' after Tommy, I'd make ya jealous enough to come after me. When ya didn't, I figured you really only saw me as a friend and nothin' more. By then I was trapped, or at least I saw it that way. I felt I had started the whole fiasco with Tommy, and I couldn't back out without really bein' embarrassed and foolish lookin'. I cared fer Tommy on some level, but not like a wife should feel towards her husband."

"And incident up at Monroe's cabin, in the reclining chair? Did I imagine the passion I felt in you then, or was it real?" Archer had to know.

"That was real, Jonny," Mairead told him. "I also doubted how you felt about it. Obviously yer reaction was real too. I jist never could find a way to express what I really felt. I thought you'd pick up on it, or figure it out, but you never did."

"We both suck at our communication skills," Archer said, trying to make light of it. "We both thought the other one could read our minds. We let fear and self-centeredness keep us from seeing what was right in front of us. I really do love you, Mairead. I don't want to mess our friendship up, but I do want a different kind of relationship with you than that."

Mairead felt him roll over on top of her, pinning her to the ground again. Her arms automatically slipped around his back. "Oh, Jonny, I do too, but how can we? You're technically my superior officer now. What we've done is against regulations. If anybody finds out, we're in deep trouble."

"We can keep it our little secret," Archer whispered in her ear, as he nibbled it.

"But how can I serve aboard yer ship? I'm not sneakin' around with my cap'n, but I don't think I could stay away from ya. I finally have what I want," Mairead said forlornly. "I don't think yer sense of duty and honor would let ya throw Starfleet and MACO regulations outta the window, Jonny."

"You just started your assignment aboard _Enterprise_," Archer said after a thoughtful moment. He pulled back to look at Mairead. "Your tour of duty is eight months, right?"

"Yes," she replied slowly.

"Finish your tour of duty," he said firmly. "We can remain professional and hands off until you're reassigned at that time. Just knowing how you feel about me can get me through a few more months of not being with you. Once you're reassigned, you won't be under my command anymore, and we can see what happens. I don't want your record to reflect that you came aboard _Enterprise_, then left after one crazy alien abduction incident. You need to stay and fulfill your assignment."

Mairead look at him skeptically, but liked the idea. "Do you really think after what we've experienced now, that we can remain objective and work well together?"

"I figure we've been friends for too long not to know our limits," Archer explained. "I won't let my feelings for you get in the way of my duty, and I know you won't either. We've both denied ourselves for a very long time. We can do it for a little while longer. This way we can still spend time together doing what we both love — exploring —, and we can see how well we really _can_ work together. Our friendship is strong enough to do this, Mai."

Mairead wanted to believe him, but she also thought it might be playing with fire. She didn't want to give up on serving aboard _Enterprise_ and being out in the vastness of space. She didn't know, however, if she could keep her distance from the man she loved. She didn't want to endanger others because of her lack of objectivity. She thought up a compromise.

"We'll try it yer way, Jonny," she informed him, "but if either one of us senses a smidgen of a problem or of bein' influenced by our emotions, then I'll ask fer a transfer. I will not let ya lose yer career over me."

"And I don't want you to lose yours, Mai," Archer said sincerely, "but I don't want to give you up either; not now."

He kissed her again, causing a cool fire to burn over her, ravishing her with his touch. _Great way to start our hands off policy_, she thought ironically. "Jist one more time, Jonny," she said huskily. "Then we have ta show some restraint."

"That was just want I was thinking, Mai," he said with a mischievous grin.

As Mai felt herself getting lost in his gentle ministrations, the snapping of several twigs brought her right back down to earth. Both of them tensed, knowing someone was out there watching them. Archer quickly found his brown leather shorts and dressed himself. He shielded Mairead with his body, and the parts of her dress that were the most intact. He was ready for a fight, despite the threat of the control chip. He was through with these aliens.

"I know you're out there," he yelled into the surrounding forest. "Did we put on a nice show for you?"

The lovely and petite queen's handmaid, Dione, stepped tentatively out into the open, about ten meters away. She was blushing furiously; her light pink cheeks almost red in color, and she had her head bowed contritely. "Forgive my…intrusion. I didn't mean to…startle you. I didn't mean to…spy on you," she said stumbling over her words.

Mairead was relieved it was this young girl and not someone like Lydia or the queen. This girl had shown some sympathy at their plight and some outrage at their treatment. "What are ya doin' out here? How did ya find us?" Mairead asked around Archer's shoulder.

"I was sent to check on your…situation…and report back to the queen," Dione informed them, still flustered. "She and Lydia are in an important negotiation with the representatives from the Orion Syndicate. When you two went into the trees, the visual of you was lost. Since I was expendable, I was asked to come out here and see what was happening. I inherited my mother's innate talent for finding things that were thought to be lost. Plus, the control chips can also act as locators." Her words were spoken hurriedly, in a rush.

"How long have you been out here?" Archer asked. He bristled at the mention of the Orions; that was _all_ they needed.

"Long enough to witness the real love that is between the two of you," she confessed, her voice hushed in awe. "I heard the things you said to each other just now. I have never seen a relationship like yours between a male and a female. You really do treat each other as equals."

Then Dione noticed Mairead shivering. The sun hadn't set yet, but it was low in the sky, and the air was growing chillier. She took off the long, cream colored sweater she had put on to travel out into the woods with and gave it to Mairead. The major took it gratefully and used it to cover herself up.

"Thank you, Dione," Mairead said softly. She could now step out and away from Archer's body, which was a mighty distraction.

"You don't like the policy of your queen toward men do you?" Archer asked her bluntly.

Dione shook her head. "No, no I don't," she replied. "It is shameful the way we are taught to treat males. My mother felt the same way, but didn't know how to change things. She passed her beliefs on down to me."

"I thought yer mother was highly thought of within Hippolyta's inner circle," Mairead commented.

"She was," Dione confirmed, "but for her skills as a huntress and warrior. She learned early to keep her mouth shut and her head down, even when she didn't agree with the decisions our queen made. I am not as restrained as my mother was able to be. My mouth betrays me far too often."

Her last statement made Archer smile. "It happens to the best of us," he told her. "So what happens now? What are you going to report to your superiors? Are you going to take us back to the queen's residence?"

"That is what I _should_ do," Dione said honestly, "but is not what I _wish _to do."

Mairead just stared at her. _Is she really willin' ta help us outta this mess? _"What is it that ya wish ta do?" Mairead inquired.

"Help you escape," was the shocking answer Dione gave, "and not just you two, but all of your people. My people had no right to attack you and make you slaves. You are not part of our culture, and we shouldn't force our values and practices on you. I can't stand by and watch it happen anymore. I have to do something to thwart it."

"You don't know what yer help would mean ta us," Mairead said, walking toward the young Arterminian.

"I think I do," Dione remarked. "There is a young Arterminian man that I care deeply for. Someone who has always made me want to treat him the way you treat Archer, Major Donnelly. He makes me want to be a better person, and he treats me like I'm the queen, even when I ask him not do so. I want a life with him as my equal, not my slave. By helping you, I'm helping myself and my people see how wrong we have been."

"What can you do for us?" Archer asked anxiously.

"I can deactivate your control chip and make a false report to Hippolyta and Lydia about your conditions," Dione explained. "I can buy you some time to gather a number of your people together. Many of our warriors and guards will be distracted because of the Orions' visit. How does that sound?"

"Great, but where do we go from there?" Archer questioned. "My people are far outnumbered. How can all of us get out and where can we go?"

"This is an underground movement among many of those that are average citizens, not part of the queen's court," Dione offered. "They could offer your people shelter until you could contact your home world for help. There are also a small number of male slaves that have been organizing for a very long time to have a chance to win their freedom. Machaon and his friends were a test run to see how successful an escape could be or not. Many lessons were learned from Machaon's mistakes. All it would take for them to fully rebel would be your people's encouragement and example."

"I'd rather go down fighting than put up with living like this for another second," Archer said with conviction. "I know my crew will feel the same. I'm willing to take the risk."

"And I as well," Mairead declared.

Dione took out a small, black, and oval device. She pushed a series of buttons on it and two rounded prongs emerged from its bottom edge. She walked up to Archer. "Allow me access to your neck. That is were the control chip is implanted, just at the base of the brain stem and at the beginning of the spinal cord. This device with deactivate the chip, but not remove it. A doctor or medical personnel will have to do that for you, but once the chip is not longer active it should not cause you any further problems. This will hurt, but it will be quick," she explained.

"I'm ready," Archer said, more than ready to be free of the damned thing.

Dione applied the two prongs to the back of his skull and hit another button. A jolt of energy surged through him, stinging fiercely, but then it was gone. "That should do it," she informed them and fingered the stag necklace at her throat. Archer didn't feel a thing from the control chip; he was, indeed, free.

"Thank you, Dione," Archer told her with absolutely sincerity. "Thank you for your kindness. If it wasn't for people like you, the galaxy would be a very bleak place."

Dione blushed at his comment and gratitude, but she quickly regained her sense of urgency. "You're more than welcome," she told him, then pulled out another small device from her dress. This one was metallic looking, shiny and silver. "This personal data unit has maps of the whole compound, including the gladiatorial arena and everything to do with the queen's residence. You can use it to find your away around and avoid detection, for it can show you were guards are posted. It can also show you where your men are through their control chips."

"What happens if ya get caught helpin' us?" Mairead finally asked; she feared the worst.

"If your successful, hopefully my people will see the light. If not, then…," Dione let the thought hang in the air.

"You could always come with us, you and that young man of yours," Archer suddenly offered. Mairead looked at him in astonishment, but then smiled. That was just like Jonny to want to repay a debt like that.

"You would really let us come with you?" Dione seemed to be astonished too.

"It would be the least I could do," Archer commented in return.

"I thank you, Archer," the young handmaiden blushed deeply again. "I hope that it isn't necessary, but I thank you for the gesture."

"I just wish I could do more," the Captain admitted.

"Just succeed in escaping," Dione told him. "That will do more than you know." Dione then turned back to Mairead and inquired, "Would you like some more appropriate clothing, Major Donnelly? You could take mine if you think you need it."

Mairead was touched by this young girl, who was, maybe, eighteen. She had such courage and conviction mingled with such compassion and kindness. "No, I'm not gonna take the clothes off yer back," Mairead said firmly. "The first guard we run into, I'll clock her and take her battle gear."

"I like how you think, Major," Dione replied with a wide grin. "Now you two get going and good luck. May the Goddess protect you."

"You are a credit to your people, Dione," Archer said as he took Mai's hand, getting ready to make their way back through the forest.

"And you are to yours, Archer. Both of you are," Dione said, and slowly turned back the way she had come, as Mairead and Archer disappeared from her sight.

* * *

Hoshi and Malcolm were led to a set of guest quarters that were lavish and extremely plush. It was colored in blues and greens. Hoshi's Orion coloring matched some of the pillows and draperies perfectly. For a show in front of the guards, Hoshi had pushed Malcolm down on to the bed, straddled him, and kissed the tactical officer feverishly, getting his mouth, chin, neck, and chest. She couldn't help the thrill that went through her at the taste of Malcolm's skin. She would never have done anything like this before, but being disguised as an Orion had made her bolder. She hoped Malcolm would forgive her for her advances.

It wasn't just Malcolm's physic Hoshi had admired from afar for a while now; it was the whole package. Malcolm Reed had always made her feel safe and protected. She felt confident that no matter what happened, on or off board _Enterprise_, he would never let her down, or any another crew member. Malcolm was also always very patient with her. When she had first struggled to get the "hang" of space exploring and being away from Earth, he had never made her feel like he judged her for it. He had taken what she considered extra special care to help her overcome her fears and lack of self-confidence. Malcolm didn't do this in big ways, but by small and simple ones. Helping her targeting skills with a phaser was just one of the many little things he'd done for her to make her feel better about things.

Malcolm Reed also had a brilliant mind and a twisted sense of humor that was fun to see when he guardedly let it show. The best quality about Malcolm, from Hoshi's point of view, was the he was a gentleman, first and foremost. Like the time the Suliban had taken over _Enterprise_ and had all the crew locked away in their quarters. Hoshi had been the only one small enough to crawl through the thin space between decks to get to Dr. Phlox and retrieve knockout hyposprays, and then make it to Malcolm's quarters to help them escape their captivity. She had gotten stuck dropping down outside of his quarters and lost her top in the process. When she opened his door for him and appeared valiantly trying to cover herself with her hands and arms, but not entirely succeeding, Malcolm hadn't gawked or stared at her. He had quickly gotten her a shirt to cover herself and stayed turned around while she put it on. He'd never mentioned the incident again, never made her feel embarrassed or less in his eyes because of it. He was the perfect gentleman about the whole thing. He never shared it with anyone either; it stayed between the two of them.

Hoshi couldn't resist letting herself enjoy being so close to this hunk of man that was also her good friend. Even though he was a very private person, he'd let Hoshi in a few times, usually to help her feel better about something that was bothering her. She was using her role playing as an excuse to see if there was any real chemistry between them. Hoshi knew this might be crossing a line, but she had to know the outcome. For her the sparks were definitely there; Malcolm definitely was her type.

Once the guards left, satisfied by Hoshi's performance, the communications officer tried to regain her composure and get her real mission back on track. It took everything she had in her to stop what she was doing. She didn't want to return to reality; she liked this fantasy a little too much.

The way Hoshi kissed him sent small shockwaves across each of Malcolm's nerves. At first, he thought it was the Orion pheromones still affecting him. He doubted the feelings he was having toward her, but the more Hoshi touched him, the more he came to realize it was _her_ and _her body_ that was causing his heated reaction. Malcolm loved the sensations Hoshi was creating all throughout his body. He had caught himself from time to time dreaming about moments like this for a very long time now, but was always afraid to admit his feelings for Hoshi. He hadn't thought she had felt the same way, but maybe he'd been wrong. Hoshi was someone he respected for her quiet courage and hidden, but fierce determination. He hadn't wanted to jeopardize the first true and trusting relationship he felt he'd had with a woman, so he'd always behaved like a gentleman around her.

He knew the guards were gone and felt Hoshi start to pull away, but he wasn't quite ready to let her slip out of his grasp. He wanted to see what would happen if he let the gentlemanly side of him drop. In a blindingly quick movement, he reversed their positions, so he was on top of her, and he kissed her hungrily, greedy for more. Hoshi was hesitant at first, but then gave into Malcolm's sweet mouth. She let the kiss build and deepen until they both needed air.

"Where…where… did that come from Lieutenant Reed?" she asked, having to slide out from under him and sit up on the side of the bed. She was flushed and flustered; happy and embarrassed at the same time. _What was happening here? Is this real or is it my imagination?_

Malcolm attempting to pull himself together and get his head back on straight, just stared at the incredible looking Ensign Sato beside him. "Sorry, I got caught up in the moment. You're very convincing as an Orion slave girl, Hoshi," he finally said, a little breathlessly.

"What if it isn't all an act, Malcolm?" she suddenly asked. _Did I just say that out loud. Oh crap!_

His eyes widened at her question, and then he blinked at her a couple of times. "Are you serious?" he answered with a question of his own, sitting up as well, shifting closer to her again.

_Too late to take it back now,_ she thought nervously. "I think I am, Malcolm."

"That would make me a very, very lucky man then," he confessed. _What in the bloody hell am I saying? It's true, but what will she think?_

"I guess we need to have a serious talk, huh?" she finally replied, searching his eyes.

"It seems we do," he agreed, "but we should probably get ourselves out of the mess we're in first. I have to say that I've never been so happy to see the Orions in my entire life, especially with you among them. That was a brilliant strategy by the way." Malcolm was trying to get back into the mode of his tactical officer attitude, but with what just happened, it wasn't easy to do.

"They made us an offer we couldn't refuse, and helped us get into position to rescue you and the others," Hoshi explained. She quickly told him all about the other female crew members who were hiding in disguise among the Orions, and how they were delivering transporter transponders and disabling control chips. "Which reminds me that I need to deactivate yours," she commented at the end.

She took out of the bag Navaar had tossed her a small, black, and oval device similar to the one Dione had used on the Captain. Hoshi motioned for Malcolm to turn around so his back was facing her. "I'll zap you, and then we'll see whom of our people we can get to and free them."

Malcolm winced at the stinging pain the device sent into his neck and down his spine, but it was over quickly. "Thanks, Hoshi. I really mean that." He then filled her in on what Trip, Travis, and Andrus had planned with using the portable cardiac stimulator.

"Good to know you guys weren't just sitting back and taking it easy," she joked. "Should we team up with them and see if they were successful?"

"Yes. We can take out the guards outside, make our way to the kitchens, and join up with them," Malcolm affirmed. "Then we need to find the Captain and Major Donnelly. I'm very worried what the Captain might do under the influence of that black liquid. You should have seen him, Hoshi; he wasn't himself."

"Major Donnelly should be able to use her MACO training to stay away from him, or prevent him from harming her," Hoshi said tentatively.

Malcolm gave her a grim look. "That's what I'm afraid of. She may have to hurt him fairly seriously to stop him."

"Let's get moving then," Hoshi said as she bounded up from the bed. She took two phase pistols from _Enterprise_ out of the bag. When Malcolm looked askance at her about them, she explained, "The Arterminians scanned for Orion weapons, not human ones. They didn't search physically in the stuff we brought down. They relied on their 'superior' technology, but in this case, it overlooked what we really had with us."

"That's damn sloppy security," Malcolm couldn't help but say.

"That's what happens when you have too much self-confidence," Hoshi said with a small smile. "You get sloppy." She handed Malcolm one of the pistols.

"Remind me to recommend you for a commendation for all of this, " Malcolm told her. "You've done a marvelous job here. And remind me to show _my_ appreciation to you," he added suggestively. He berated himself for being coy, but he couldn't help it. Hoshi had opened his eyes to some wild, new possibilities.

Hoshi felt herself blush as his compliment, although Malcolm couldn't see it because of the greenness of her skin. "We'll see," she said in response, with a tiny bit of coyness of her own. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Yes, ma'am," he said with a smirk. He was thinking they needed to let a little more time pass before they made their move, just so the guards would have no reason to be on alert. He was also dying for another kiss from Hoshi, just to see if his reaction would be the same as a few minutes ago. "We might want to whittle away a few more minutes before we spring into action."

"Oh," Hoshi said, giving him a strange look, but hoping she was interpreting his meaning correctly. "And how do you propose we do that, Malcolm?"

He replied by placing his lips on hers again, kissing her soundly. Their arms slid around each other once more and the fire ignited between them again. Hoshi wanted to get lost in Malcolm, drown in him, the tingling was so electric. For a stuffy Brit, Malcolm had a lot of passion under the surface. Finally, he broke contact, but slowly. He was now convinced the was a real "something" between the two of them. _Maybe this whole bloody mess has a silver lining,_ he thought wryly to himself.

Hoshi was breathing heavily, trying to bring herself back to rational thinking. She let herself just rest against Malcolm's bare chest for a while, inhaling his masculine scent. She could get used to this. He held her snuggly to him, just enjoying her closeness. He was grateful for this revelation, and grateful that Hoshi had come to rescue him. He chuckled that their reversed roles. It was usually him saving her, but not this time.

"We'd better make our move," Hoshi said, drawing away from him to gather up her phase pistol again.

"I'm ready to leave this nightmare place behind," he agreed, gathering his wits about him. "Let's get the bloody hell out of here." And with that he recollected his phase pistol too, and they made their way to the door. Hoshi called for the guards as they laid in wait.

* * *

Andrus had masterfully gotten away from the kitchens and was now arriving at the gladiatorial arena. He had let Trip and Travis dump him in a pile of filthy garbage that he had literally sunk down into. This helped to explain why the three men took so long outside disposing of the trash. A couple of Arterminian guards had to be asked to assist in retrieving him. Andrus had been covered in rotten, stinking rubbish. The guards couldn't stand the sight or smell of him, so they dismissed him to go shower and clean himself off; in fact, they demanded that he do so.

Trip and Travis had been ushered back inside and ordered to help prepare an evening feast for the Orions' visit. Both senior officers shivered at the thought of having the Orions thrown into the mix, but decided with all the arrangements being made and fussing going on it might be to their advantage in escaping. They silently wished Andrus good luck in freeing the MACOs.

Now, Andrus approached the prisoner cell block for the gladiatorial games. He had grabbed a whole bunch of male battle gear after a very quick, real shower. The Betazoid was going to use the excuse that he was here to help the participants in the fights this evening get ready. That was so he could get into see the humans that Major Donnelly had been in charged of; the military men. He had done this sort of duty before, so hopefully, even though he was not assigned to assist this time, he could fake that he was and get away with it. He had hidden the cardiac stimulator underneath the pile of gear he now carried.

"Well, well, if it isn't the fine Betazoid piece of ass," a tall and muscular wine colored guard said snidely to him as he entered the cell block.

Andrus had to mentally block all her lewd and crude thoughts about him and her from his mind. She was projecting them very powerfully, being filled with lust. It sickened and revolted him, but he put on a sly smile and greeted her cheerfully. "Nice to see you too, Acantha."

"Going to prep the new specimens for the big event tonight, I take it?" she asked of him, coming way too far into his personal space.

"Yes," he answered. "Is that all right with you?" he added as politely as he could.

"Only if you see me for a private visit afterward," she informed him, running a hand along his upper arm.

Her thoughts were a literal tidal wave of smut. It took all he could not react, both in revulsion and with some arousal. This woman was a sadist, liked to cause pain. Andrus didn't want to be anywhere near her, but he had to act like he had no choice. He was just grateful, deep down, that he did have one now.

"I think that could be arranged," he said seductively to her, "if you allow me to do my other duties first."

Acantha grabbed a handful his behind and squeezed it roughly. Andrus managed to stifle the yelp that threatened to erupt from him. "If you don't come get me when you're done, I'll come get you," she threatened menacingly.

"Understood, Milady," Andrus said contritely.

Acantha stepped aside and let him pass her by unhindered and slipped him the keys to the cells; he was a trusted, well-adjusted slave after all. If she only knew how much he hated her. He was thankful his mind reading ability didn't work both ways unless he wanted it to or the species he dealt with was partially telepathic as well. As far as he knew, the Arterminians didn't have that ability at all.

It didn't take him long to find the cells holding the human military men. They were locked up in four different cells. There had been sixteen MACOs in all that were men, and fifteen of them were being held here in the gladiatorial arena cell block. Kemper was with the queen and Lydia, so he was not among those incarcerated for fighting. There were four men in each cell, except the fourth one, which only had three.

"Which of you is Corporal Chang?" Andrus asked quickly, in a hushed voice.

The tall and lean, Asian man stepped forward, not afraid to be identified. "That's me," he said curtly.

"My name is Andrus Tam. I'm a Betazoid not a human," he said quickly sensing the question budding up in the Corporal's mind. "Lieutenant Reed, Commander Tucker, and Ensign Mayweather sent me to let you in on our escape plan. We've come up with a way to disable the control chips." He went and unlocked the cell Chang was in.

"What do you mean by 'we'?" Chang asked suspiciously.

"I want out of here to return to my people just a badly as you do," Andrus said in his defense. "I've been helping devise the plan with your people."

"What is all that you've got there?" Private Vincent Brown, a compactly built, Japanese MACO asked curiously.

Andrus smiled at him. "It's supposed to be fight gear you were to wear in battle in the arena tonight, but," Andrus dropped the pile of gear in a corner of the cell to reveal the cardiac stimulator, "I was using it to hide this."

"That isn't what I think it is, is it?" Private Brown inquired.

"This has got to be Commander Tucker's idea," Corporal Mario Romero commented. He was an athletic-looking human of Hispanic descent.

Andrus could feel the light humor in the human's tone as he made his remark. The man really respected Trip, but would never admit it to the engineer's face. "You're both right," the Betazoid replied, knowing from their surface thoughts that they immediately knew what he wanted to do with the cardiac stimulator. "This device will short out your control chips, and then I will let you out of here."

"I think I like this plan," Chang finally decided. "I don't like electrocution, but I do like the idea of being free of this place." Andrus could tell by the subtle looks that Chang gave each of his men in the cell with him that he didn't completely trust Andrus and was signaling them to take him out if he betrayed them. After all, he had the keys to their cells.

"And down here you will see some of our newest and yummiest acquisitions," a melodic feminine voice was suddenly heard from somewhere down the hallway.

"Someone's coming," Brown stated the obvious.

"Quick," Andrus said as he hid the device under a leather gauntlet, "act like your getting dressed in the fight gear. It's probably Corinna giving the Orions a tour of the complex. They should come by for a look and then leave."

"Orions?" Romero said half in dread and half in intense interest.

"Yes," Andrus answered distractedly, trying to sort out outfits for each MACO.

"This just keeps getting better and better," Romero muttered under his breath.

A group of fifteen stunningly green and scantly clan Orion females with an entourage of Arterminian guards and tour guide appeared from around the corner. The lavender colored Arterminian in front was explaining to the Orions all about how the humans were captured. Her hair was a caramel brown shade, and she was wearing an exquisite white dress, cut low and curve hugging. They stopped in front of Chang's cell.

"As you can see, they are being prepared for the fights tonight in celebration of your visit to our world," Corinna told them. "Andrus is one of our favorite males. He is the only Betazoid we have, and he doesn't disappoint often since he can read our minds."

Chang gave Andrus a sharp look, but said nothing at the revelation. He took the clothing the Betazoid offered him and started to put it on over the short, black leather shorts he had on.

"How long have you had him?" one Orion female asked.

Brown could have sworn he recognized the voice. He tried to steal as many glances at the Orion who asked the question without anyone noticing. Finally, he found himself staring at her in disbelief, not caring if he got caught or not. The Orion looked a lot like Corporal Amanda Cole, but not at the same time. The Orion female felt his eyes upon her and looked directly at him. Then she winked at him. It _was _Corporal Cole! He tried to hide his realization as best he could. He didn't want to give her away.

"Around eight months I believe," came Corinna's answer.

"He is a very attractive male, and very similar to these new humans of yours," the Orion female remarked.

"Yes we found that to be fascinating as well," Corinna replied. "Now if you'll care to follow me, I'll show you the arena itself. It is a most impressive piece of architecture."

Another Orion female spoke up, "You know what, I think were done with your little tour." She said it aggressively. Now Chang startled as he recognized Corporal McKenzie behind the Orion façade. He'd know her bone structure anywhere; they'd sparred enough times for him to identify it.

"You're not bored already are you?" Corinna said, taking offense.

"No, not bored," the green woman said, "just pissed off at the treatment of our men." With that eight of the fifteen Orions drew _Enterprise_ issued phase pistols out of the little bags they all had slug over their shoulders. Instantly they fired, knocking out the guards and Corinna.

"This wasn't the plan," Liz Cutler said sourly. "We'll all be caught now."

"The plan changed when we saw what these people were doing to our comrades," Cole informed her. "We're not waiting any longer to get them out of here. We've passed out a good number of transponders so that many our men can be beamed up to safety. Once we get the rest of our MACO unit free and disable their control chips, we'll be in a better position to use force and get those of the crew left behind out of here."

Chang, Brown, Romero, and the rest of the male MACOs were staring at their woman folk in shock and awe. Andrus didn't know what to think either, but he knew that their chances of gaining freedom just turned drastically in their favor. The human women had come to their rescue. That thought strengthened Andrus' belief in the goodness of this new species.

McKenzie eventually noticed all the looks they were getting. "Hey fellas," she greeted them. "Ready to blow this joint?"

TBC

**Okay, what do you think? What will happen when Hippolyta and Lydia find out what is going on? Will the rescue and escape plans combined really work? A little feedback will inspire me to write the next chapter, so hit the review button and let me know how I did with this chapter. Thanks.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**Rated T: For language and violence.**

**A/N: Sorry for another long delay in updating this story. It seems like everything has been conspiring against me updating. First, I lost my inspiration for a little while, then my life got kind of wonky, and there were some technical difficulties. Now, however, readers can see what happens next: the great "escape and rescue" scene plays out in this chapter. I tried to have as much fun with it as possible and add in some humor as well as a little drama and angst. I also hope that readers can see how many of the characters have evolved and matured over the course of this story. I will write one more chapter after this one to give it a good, solid conclusion and try and tie up all the loose ends so nobody trips over them. :) Please enjoy reading this chapter!!!!!**

**A ton of thanks goes out to my faithful beta reader, LadyRainbow. Again, despite her own busy life, she takes the time to help me with mine. You rock girl!!!!**

**Chapter 13**

**More Than Was Bargained For**

Mairead had been true to her word to Dione by taking out the first guard she and Archer came upon. She used her MACO training to come up silently behind a guard near a side entrance into the queen's residence not far from the kitchens. Mairead was able to grab the guard swiftly around the throat in a sleeper hold, and it took only a matter of seconds for the major to force the guard into unconsciousness by cutting off her air supply. Archer took the other guard by surprise with a hard punch to her face. After the hit, the guard crumpled to the ground, not having time to react.

Together they pulled the two comatose guards into the bushes, and Mairead pilfered one of the guard's uniforms: a black battle skirt and black midriff, tank top with some knee-high boots. It wasn't exactly what Mairead would have liked to fight in, but it was better than the thin sweater Dione had so graciously given her. Archer took the staff weapons each guard had, and the disruptor type weapons they had clipped to their waists.

A few moments later, Malcolm and a gorgeous Orion slave girl Archer thought looked slightly familiar showed up at the same side entrance. Hoshi teased Archer when he just stared at her, trying to figure things out. "Don't you recognize your trusted communications officer, Captain?" Archer was speechless, not knowing what to say, but he was extremely happy to see Ensign Hoshi Sato.

"She had the same effect on me, sir," Malcolm told him with a small smile. "I'm glad to see that you and Major Donnelly are all right. I feared the worst when you ran off into the woods after her." Malcolm eyed Mairead's new attire with confusion. _Wasn't she wearing a lovely, blue dress earlier? I could have sworn she was. I remember because it brought out the blue in her eyes,_ he thought to himself. _And it made her look like a beautiful ripple of water._ Malcolm decided he was still attracted to this new crew member, but it was all superficial. His connection to Hoshi was something much deeper than that.

"We found a way ta deal with the Cap'n's momentary mental lapse," Mairead vaguely explained. "Once the stimulant passed through his system, he returned ta his senses. One of the queen's handmaidens came ta our aid," and she went on to explain what Dione had done for them.

Hoshi filled the Captain in on their deal with the Orions, to which she watched him wince, and the details of the escape plan. "You, T'Pol, and the others are angels, Hoshi," Archer said warmly to her.

"You won't get an argument from me," Malcolm chimed back in. "I'll go get Tucker and Mayweather. Then we need to coordinate with the rest of the women from _Enterprise. _Hopefully, if things went according to plan, they've successfully freed the MACOs and passed out a number of the transporter transponders."

Archer concurred with his tactical officer with a nod, and then added, "If we can get hold of Hippolyta and she sees most of our people are free and the Orions are on our side, she'll have to let the rest of our men go. We will be in a very secure place to negotiate from."

"Agreed, sir," Malcolm replied. "We don't have the numbers for a successful all-out assault, but getting the queen into our possession with the power of the Orions behind us, should turn things in our favor."

Mairead spoke up again. "I'm thinkin' if we make a big enough show of it, we might jist git the Arterminian men ta join us or help us. Dione mentioned that they were jist waitin' fer a chance to rebel."

"That would be an added bonus," Hoshi commented. "Hippolyta could have a real uprising on her hands and have to let _all _her prisoners go, not just the ones from our crew."

"Sounds good to me," Archer said, taking a deep breath. Then he turned and addressed Malcolm. "Lieutenant, go get Tucker and Mayweather. We'll stay hidden out here until you return. Then will find out where Hippolyta is meeting with Navaar—," he shivered as he said her name, "—and go get her. From there we can see if the MACOs are free and can offer us back up. We need to signal T'Pol to transport as many of our people back up to the ship as possible while we confront Hippolyta."

"Aye, sir," Hoshi, Malcolm, and Mairead all said at the same time, making Archer smile wide at them because of way they answered him so in sync with each other; it was impressive timing.

Malcolm quietly went through the side door into the kitchens in search of Trip and Travis, as the others hid themselves in the thick foliage surrounding the area. It seemed like it took Malcolm forever to reappear, but he soon emerged with the commander and the ensign in tow. They were now armed with disruptors as well. They must have taken out a few more guards while inside.

While Hoshi had been conferring with Mai, Archer had been consulting the portable data device Dione had given him. He found Nate Kemper's control chip reading; if the MACO was still with the queen, then Archer now knew where she was located. It looked like it was deep inside the residence, so getting there might be tough. They'd have to fight a number of guards on the way, and they had to do it quickly to try and keep the advantage of surprise on their side.

Archer signaled everyone out of hiding and showed the others his findings. "Lydia convinced Hippolyta that Nate was a good trade for me," Malcolm informed the Captain. When Archer gave him a funny look, he explained further. "Hippolyta didn't like the idea of me going off with an Orion. Lydia mentioned what a good lover Nate was and talked her into enjoying his company while I was occupied."

"Ah, poor, Nate," Trip said in disgust. "I mean, in one sense that's a compliment, but not with these women; it's a sentence in hell."

"Then I suggest we don't delay our escape and rescue any longer," Archer said firmly. He turned to Hoshi. "Do you have any way to contact the other crew members who came down here with you? Can you find out what there status is?"

Hoshi fished around in her bag, slung over her shoulder. "I think Navaar gave us all comlinks," she reported. After a few more moments of searching, she pulled out a small, transparent earpiece. "I just hope the others remember they have them, or one of them has one already in place in their ear."

She stepped away from the group while she tried to contact Corporal McKenzie or Corporal Cole. "Ensign Sato, it is good to hear your voice," Corporal McKenzie's answer came in loud and clear, much to Hoshi's relief. It took only a few minutes to coordinate everything the Captain wanted to do in conjunction with the others. Corporal McKenzie told Hoshi that Andrus Tam, another male alien prisoner, knew where the queen was meeting with the Orion sisters and would be able to guide her newly freed team there to allow them to be in position to help make a move on the queen and Lydia.

When Hoshi was finished planning with McKenzie, the Captain had a question for her. "What kind of help can we expert from Navaar and her sisters?"

"She and the battle ships she has with her are supposed to be on our side, should we need them," Hoshi answered tentatively. "However, you never know what to expect from them at the last minute. This could all be a way to get _Enterprise_ into their clutches again."

"That's an awful lotta work on their part, if that's their plan," Trip commented wryly.

"But you're forgetting how we humiliated them," Malcolm pointed out. "To save face with the Orion Syndicate, they might be willing to do just about anything."

"I wish Andrus was with us," Travis piped up. "He'd be able to tell us whose side the Orions are really on."

Archer smiled wistfully at that thought, wishing for the same thing. _A mind reading alien would come in handy just about now, _he said to himself silently. Out loud he said, "We'll just have to be ready for the chance that the Orions may have something up their sleeve. Malcolm, you lead the way, and organize us how you think we will be the most effective."

"Aye, sir," the tactical officer replied. "Let me see that data device. Does it contain a map of the residence?"

"Sure does," Archer told him handing the electronic item over to Reed.

Malcolm perused it for a few, brief minutes, a strategy forming in his mind. "It looks like there are three different entrances to the room the queen is in right now. We should split up into two groups and let the MACO group cover the third entrance. We need to be able to control all access to that room, all entry points. Hoshi and I can lead one group and appear like we are heading back to join the queen and the Orions, since Hoshi looks like one of them. Major Donnelly could lead the other, since she is dressed as an Arterminian. Her coloring is off of course, but at first glance she would seem just like any other guard. Then her group could strike and take out anyone who took a second look."

"Yer tryin' ta save us time by not havin' ta skulk around," Mairead caught on to where Reed was going with his idea. "We can almost move through the residence as if we belong here, attractin' less attention, and in so doin', have less resistance ta deal with. We want ta catch as many of them by surprise as possible. Smart thinkin', Lieutenant."

"Thanks, Major," Malcolm returned with a smile. "And yes, we need to use the element of surprise to our best advantage. The Arterminians also don't know that our control chips have been disabled. That confusion should buy us another few precious seconds to overcome them."

"Who goes with whom then?" Travis wanted to know.

"I'd feel better about things if the Captain came with Hoshi and me," Malcolm said, feeling responsible as the security chief to make sure his captain was within his sight at all times. "Commander Tucker and you should go with Major Donnelly."

Trip couldn't help but notice Archer's momentary hesitation about Reed's suggestion. The chief engineer also caught the Captain's shared concerned glance with Mai. Trip could sense something was different between the two of them; something had changed. He could have sworn they didn't want to be separated. _What's up with them? _he wondered to himself. _I think I might need to have another serious talk with Jon._

"Ya don't think I can keep our cap'n safe?" Mairead then asked of Reed. She sounded offended, but Trip had the feeling she was masking what she was really feeling. He knew her too well to believe she would really be upset over something so trivial.

_Ah, bollix, _Malcolm thought. _We aren't going to have a contest of wills again are we? Not here, not now. _He tried to respond calmly and without putting his foot in his mouth. "That's not my thinking at all, Major. You obviously helped him through his exposure to that horrible stimulant with flying colors. It's just that I felt I've let him down the entire time we've been held captive. I just want to try and make up for it."

"You haven't let me down, Malcolm," Archer defended his tactical officer. "I know you've been doing everything in your power to protect the crew. What happened with the Arterminians is my fault. I foolishly let my guard down when we answered that distress call."

"I understand how ya feel, Lieutenant," Mairead replied in a surprising change in attitude. "I haven't been on me game down here either. I'm sorry ta snap at ya like that. Of course Cap'n Archer should go with you."

_That was a quick turn around for Mai, _Trip thought suspiciously. _What is she tryin' to cover up? I need to remember to ask Mal about this stimulant incident. Somethin's up with those two. _He looked at Archer and Mai as he thought this.

"Don't worry about it, Major," Malcolm said reassuringly. "I think all our nerves a little frazzled at this point."

He then held up the portable date unit and showed the major which entrance she should take. Mairead quickly and carefully memorized the route. "So Hoshi will let the others know where to make their approach from?" Mairead asked of Reed.

"Yes," he answered her. Then to Hoshi he asked, "You don't happen to have another commlink on you, Ensign, do you?"

"Unfortunately, I don't," Hoshi informed them.

"How will we know when you and the MACOs are in position then?" Travis asked with concern.

Mairead thought of a solution. "Ensign Sato, do ya have a mirror in that bag of yers? It's a wee bit old-fashioned, but ya could flash it when yer in position and ready ta strike. Then flash it again for us ta attack."

"That's excellent," Malcolm said liking the idea. "Do you have a mirror, Hoshi?"

"What self-respecting Orion slave girl doesn't carry a mirror around with her to look her most seductive?" Hoshi answered the questions with one of her own.

"Then were set," Archer cut back in. "Let's do this as fast as possible. We should all be in our positions within ten minutes."

Malcolm nodded his approval of that suggestion. "Yes, sir, that should be good."

"Good luck everyone," Archer said as the six of them parted ways to put their escape in motion.

* * *

Hippolyta and Lydia were in a heated discussion with the three Orion sisters. Navaar had purposely made demands that the Arterminians would balk at. She was buying the humans as much time as possible to rescue their men. D'Nesh and Maras had joined her, quietly leaving their tour group to rejoin their sister and not interfere with what the humans needed to do. They had let the Arterminians serve them a nice meal, and then fired up the negotiations.

"You Orions are really pushing it this time," Lydia was ranting. "You always ask for way too much."

Navaar replied very calmly to the First Commander, "The Orion Syndicate is ever growing and expanding, and so our needs do too. Besides, your constant raiding into our territory has been hurting our profits considerably. You owe us some concessions."

"Oh, and you're raids into our territory don't hurt our bottom-line?" Hippolyta commented from the plush couch she was lying on. She had made Nate Kemper cuddle up with her, lying in front of her, and she was running her hand through his short, light brown hair. Nate was using all his training to stay alert, and not give into the contented feeling Hippolyta's touch wanted to give his body.

"Not as much as you hurt ours," D'Nesh was the one who answered in an exaggerated huff and pouted.

"Oh, please," Lydia said snidely.

The main door opened and admitted Andrus Tam holding and balancing, with great skill, three trays lined up with desserts. Andrus had run to the kitchen to grab some food to appear normal so he could confirm for the human MACO team that the queen was indeed still in the room with Kemper.

"Sorry to interrupt, my queen," Andrus said humbly, "but I was told you desired your dessert right away."

"And you wanted to be the one to satisfy my desire, hmmm?" Hippolyta smiled coyly at him as she spoke. It was unusual for Andrus to volunteer for a duty not specifically assigned to him, but the queen chalked it up to his feeling a little threatened by the new arrivals and all the attention they were receiving. Andrus had been a favorite for a quite some time, and it appeared he still wanted to be. He was such a good little slave.

"Always, my queen," he said with a little bow and presented the food.

"I for one would love to have my sweet-tooth satisfied," Navaar was the first to say as she stood and approached Andrus. She looked him over with a careful eye, liking what she saw.

Andrus gulped as he sensed her amorous and lusty thoughts about him. It was not his intention to have an Orion female become interested in him. He was not immune to their pheromones, and that was something he feared greatly. At least with Arterminians, his will was his own. He wasn't drugged or chemically under any spell. The Orions were different, and that really scared him. He took comfort in the fact that now that he had communicated to the MACO team outside the main door, he wouldn't have to be in direct exposure to the Orions for much longer.

Just as Lydia decided to give in and see what Andrus had brought them, all hell broke loose. Armed human males and Orions females burst in through the main entrance. More came from the two side doors. In just a few seconds she, the queen, a few of the queen's personal guards and handmaidens, the Orions, and the human Kemper were all surrounded. A multitude of phase weapons were pointed at them, and the doors were locked and secured from the inside, blocking, at least temporarily, any outside help. They were trapped.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hippolyta demanded, pushing Nate off of her, and standing up. Nate found himself grabbed by Trip Tucker and pulled out of Hippolyta's reach.

"I'm sorry to inform you, Hippolyta, but we aren't going to be your guests any longer," the human, Archer, told her. The queen was so shocked to see him that she couldn't speak.

As Lydia fumbled with her gauntlet to activate the men's control chips, she was equally shocked to watch only Kemper convulse and cry out, falling to the ground.

"Crap," Trip cursed. "Hoshi knock out Nate's chip and quick."

Meanwhile, McKenzie and Chang's team made sure that the guards were incapacitated. Malcolm and Travis made sure the handmaidens would not cause them any grief. Soon Lydia and Hippolyta were the only Arterminian women standing. The Orions had backed off to a far side of the room, watching in amused fascination.

Archer spoke to the few Arterminian men that were left. Some had been fanning the queen and her guests, while others had been standing around waiting to be ordered into service. "We're offering to help any of you who want to join us. If you don't— then you'll have to join your friends on the floor."

The Captain's words were met with wild blinks of surprise and a little awe. They all held up their hands and backed away from the queen and Lydia. They weren't actively joining the fight, but they were not defending their queen either. Archer allowed himself a small smile at their actions. It would take some time for the Arterminian men to process what was happening.

"You won't get away with this, Archer," Hippolyta spat at him, advancing angrily upon him, trying time and again to active his control chip with no success. "Once my security forces learn of what you've done, they will destroy you. All of your people will suffer of this."

"I don't think so, Your Majesty," Archer came back at her with. "You see, the lovely Orions have helped to facilitate our escape. As we speak my crew are being returned to my ship." He looked to Corporal McKenzie for confirmation.

She asked for, through a commlink, and got an instant report back from Corporal Cole that the beam out was in progress. "Half the men are back aboard, Captain," McKenzie told him, "with the rest following shortly. Even though we didn't reach everyone with a transponder, enough were given out that by picking up on their signals Commander T'Pol has been able to locate others in their vicinity." Archer nodded at her, relieved to hear her report.

Hippolyta turned with wrath toward the Orions. "You! You've been in league with these humans this whole time?!"

Navaar couldn't help but smirk at the Arterminian leader's consternation. "My, but you do catch on quickly, Your Majesty. Yes, Archer and his crew _really_ are old acquaintances of ours, and I thought it would be marvelous for him to owe us a favor this time around." The Orion beauty turned to the Captain then. "It is so delightful to see you again, Captain," she purred. "When this is all over, we can discuss what you owe us."

Even though it took great effort on his part, Archer met Navaar's bright blue eyes, and said, "Agreed," which earned him a Cheshire cat smile from the green woman.

Andrus had set his trays down and joined Mairead who was helping Trip and Hoshi make sure Kemper was all right and control chip free. He liked the leather clad figure of the human woman. She was a stunning sight to him; fierce and noble looking at the same time. It took him a minute to sort out some of her jumbled surfaces thoughts, in all the excitement. Something had happened between her and Archer that she was trying to hide from the others and from herself.

He knew he shouldn't, but he probed deeper to find out what it was that had happened. He caught flashes of the hunt; how Archer was forced to chase her. He also caught flashes of how the hunt had ended, that she and Archer had…_No! _his own mind cried out. _No they didn't. They can't have. I was to win her over, not Archer._ Andrus felt the slow and hot burn of his jealousy start to come to the forefront. He had started to let himself believe he had found his Imazdi in this human woman; someone to share his life with at last. _How did Archer get in the way?_ he wanted to know.

He immersed himself in Mairead's mind, invading it, doing what his species expressly forbid. _She'll never know_, he convinced himself. _She would never realize I've been in her mind._ He ran through all her memories of her childhood, her family, her friends, going off to Starfleet, meeting Archer and falling in love with him, meeting Thomas Branson, becoming a MACO, marrying Branson, the night at Monroe's cabin, her MACO career, Branson's death, her new assignment, and reunion with Archer.

Andrus realized he had never really stood a chance against Archer. The human captain was her Imazdi, her perfect match, and always had been. They'd both been too blind to see it until recently, but now they had. He could never come between that no matter how hard he tried. He didn't want to now, not after feeling and seeing the real love between the two humans. It gave him hope that even though it might take time and he may have to overcome a lot of opposition, he'd find someone he could care for the way Archer and Mairead cared for each other. The Betazoid forlornly made the decision to back off. He would not ruin something so special; it was not his place, nor his right.

Hippolyta was trying another track to regain control. "I see that Major Donnelly survived the hunt in one piece. That is not only unusual, but it can only mean one thing—," Archer cut her off.

"That you underestimated the power of friendship," he said forcefully. "You've never been friends with a member of the opposite sex so you don't know the power of true friendship." Archer believed what he said, but he was also trying to downplay what had actually happened between he and Mai. He didn't want anyone to know what had really happened between them. It made him a little sick to be outright dishonest, but in this case, the truth was too damaging to both he and Mai.

Lydia was trying to use her gauntlet to call for help. Luckily, Malcolm's quick eye caught her movement and stopped her. He grabbed her roughly by the arm and ripped the gauntlet off her arm and wrist. "That is not a good idea," he told her sternly.

The First Commander pulled away from him abruptly, not liking having the shoe on the other foot. She'd never been challenged by a male before, at least not one that was her equal in a combat situation. Lydia scowled at Malcolm. She went to strike him out of pure habit. Instead of stunning her with the phase pistol he had, he side-stepped her punch, and threw one of his own at her. He hit her squarely on the jaw, sending her reeling. She caught herself on a couch, grabbing on to an armrest. Pink blood flowed from her slip lip, probably from her own teeth biting herself from the punch.

Lydia wiped at the blood and gave Malcolm an incredulous look. She launched herself at him again, landing a kick to his gut, and then twisting around and striking him behind his knees with another kick. Malcolm went down, losing his grip on the phase pistol. He and Lydia both went for it, Lydia elbowing him in the face. Malcolm recoiled from the hit, clearly in pain. Lydia reached again for the weapon.

A green foot stomped on her hand, and then a kick smacked into her face and chin. The force of the blow sent her rolling across the floor, and snapped her head and neck hard enough to knock her unconscious. Hoshi bent down and retrieved the phase pistol and helped Malcolm back up to his feet.

"Thanks for the intervention, Ensign," he said to Hoshi full of real gratitude. That was twice she had saved him now.

"Not a problem, Lieutenant," she replied and grinned at him.

Mairead rushed forward to make sure Lydia was really unconscious or if she needed to be secured more fully than that. The Arterminian seemed to be down for the count. The queen was now basically all alone.

"Now we can negotiate your surrender," Archer informed Hippolyta.

"My surrender?" she said indignantly. "My surrender? "

"You are our prisoner now," Archer went on. "You are going to let us walk out of here with any of our remaining people, and you will let all the other aliens you are holding captive go. I'm tempted to push for you to release your own men from their servitude as well."

Andrus' attention instantly snapped to Archer as he said this. He knew the human meant what he said, that he was thinking of all the others and not just himself and his people. Andrus also felt the Arterminian men in the room start with realization of what Archer was trying to do for them.

A pounding on the doors resounded throughout the room; reinforcements were trying to break in. That seemed to embolden Hippolyta. "Your fight is a losing one, Archer. You may get your crew back aboard your ship, but you and everyone is this room will not. I will kill everyone of them and leave you alive to suffer at my hands personally, until I tire of you and decide to have you executed. I will especially take great pleasure in torturing and killing Major Donnelly, since you have such an... affection for her."

Archer froze in place with his phase pistol pointed at Hippolyta; he'd traded the Arterminian disruptor he'd had before with Malcolm. Most of him knew that her threats were empty ones, but they also terrified another part of him. He would never let anything like that happen to Mai, never. He tried to keep himself from trembling next, as his rage built. For a split second he was tempted to subtly switch the setting higher on the phase pistol and end this all here and now by killing Hippolyta. The thought passed as quickly as it had come, but it shook him to his core that he'd had it at all.

Trip watched the muscles in his friend's jaw twitch, and his fingers on the phase pistol shift ever so slightly. No one else would catch the movements, except maybe Hoshi, but Trip knew Archer all too well. He had seen the angry, hateful flash in Archer's green eyes. The chief engineer breathed a sigh of relief when he watched Archer take a deep breath and rein himself back in. He had feared the threat to Mai would make his friend do something he'd regret, but Trip also knew what a man of principle Archer was.

Mairead, confident that Lydia was no threat, stood up and approached Hippolyta. "You won't be able ta do anythin' ta anybody if yer dead," she hissed to the queen. "If yer people do break through the doors, you tell them ta back off, or they'll have ta anoint a new queen. You are in no position ta bargain. Yer people may get us; they may not, but not before you die first."

"Brave words, Major," Hippolyta said ominously. "You really would have made a great addition to our society. It is a pity that you are so close-minded." With lightning speed, the queen jabbed two fingers from each of her hands into the pressure points in Mairead's neck. Mairead stumbled back in pain and shock, right into the arms of Lydia, who had been playing possum. Suddenly, Mairead couldn't breath and her vision began to swim.

The queen then turned swiftly back to face Archer. "I just cut off the flow of blood to the Major's brain, Archer," she explained coldly. "You have about thirty seconds to get me to restore it. If not, she will die. The only way I will do that is if you release me and let my guards into this room."

Archer felt like the whole room had tilted sideways; this was more than he had bargained for, expanding his relationship with Mai. His heart lurched up into his throat. Panic and fear raced around his brain and body like a race horse. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears. His breath was coming in short, fast gasps; he was hyperventilating. Sweat broke out on his forehead. He was in the middle of his worst nightmare; the woman he loved was dying and the only way to save her was to let the bad guys win. He couldn't sacrifice the lives of everyone here just for Mai, but he wanted to more than anything. This was why the regulations against relationships within the ranks existed; it tended to compromise command decisions. _What do I do? What do I do? _he kept thinking over and over. Archer knew what the right thing to do was, but it couldn't make himself say it.

Trip knew after five seconds that Archer was in trouble. The chief engineer totally empathized with his captain. He'd felt the same about T'Pol on a number of occasions, but he knew what his logical Vulcan would say, "The needs of the many out way the needs of the few or the one." Archer had to make a choice, had to see this through. Choosing between someone you loved and the greater good was never an easy thing to do, it was nearly impossible, but it had to be done. Trip prayed his friend would have the strength to do the right thing.

Andrus picked up on Archer's turmoil and its cause instantly. This was where he could prove he was not a selfish, spoiled little child to the humans. He scanned Hippolyta's mind for the correct procedure to undo the pinched blood vessels in Mairead's neck. Once he was certain he could do it, he pushed his thoughts into the human captain's mind as strongly as he could.

_Shoot them! _he cried in Archer's mind. _Shoot them quickly, and I can save Mai. Don't hesitate. Just trust me. I will save Mai._

The Captain did everything he could not to look at Tam. He knew who it was in his mind. He didn't know if he could trust Tam or not, but the alien had been nothing but supportive and helpful throughout this whole ordeal. He had to trust someone to save his beloved Mai. Tam was stepping up to do just that; he _had_ to trust_ him_. He thought two words to Tam. _Do it._

A second later and Archer was firing his phase pistol at Hippolyta, and then Lydia in quick succession. They dropped to the floor, and Mai started to go with them. Her eyes were rolling up in her head and blood was leaking out her nose and ears. Andrus was there the next second, copying the exact, right movements and pressure he'd gleaned from Hippolyta's mind. When Mai took a deep, gasping breath and her body relaxed, he knew he'd done it correctly. She would be all right.

Andrus heard Archer's sob of gratitude in his mind. _Thank you so very much._

_You are more than welcome, Captain_, Andrus returned his thoughts. _It is the least I could do for you._

"Would you like us to transport you back to _Enterprise_?" Navaar's voice suddenly came out of the blue. "You can take the queen and Lydia with you and hold them until she or her people are ready to make a deal with you."

Archer considered her suggestion, and then said, "That might be our best bet."

"Navaar to T'Pol," Navaar said in to an ear piece in her right ear.

No one could hear the other end of the conversation, but right after, Navaar said, "Lock on to my signal and get us up there," the whole group felt the tingling of the transporter. _Enterprise's _transporter, being boost by the Orions', was able to get them all to materialize in a pressurized cargo bay, aboard the starship.

Archer was never in his life so glad to see the inside of an _Enterprise _cargo bay. The first thing he did was call for Phlox to treat Mai, and then he had the queen and Lydia taken to the brig. T'Pol took only a few minutes to show up in the cargo bay herself. The Captain could have sworn he saw a bit of elation and relief in his first officer's eyes and face. It was gone quickly, however, but not before she exchanged a long glance with Trip.

"Well done, Commander," Archer told her as she stopped just short of him.

As she took in the sight of all the scantly dressed men and green women, she raised one pointed eye brow. "It was my duty to find a way to secure your release. It agrees with me to see that you are back and with minimal damage to your person."

"I hate to interrupt your heartwarming reunion," Navaar said, having slid up beside Archer, "but we need to discuss how you are going to pay your debt to us."

"Not until you help us find away to get the Arterminians to negotiate for the release of their queen," Archer said firmly. "I still may have some crewmen trapped down there, and other people that may need our help." To T'Pol he said, "We need to get an exact head count to see who's back aboard and who's still missing."

"Aye, Captain," was all T'Pol said.

Navaar pouted and rubbed her hands up Archer's arm. "Is that what you really want?"

Archer felt the pull of the Orion's pheromones, but right now, it had little effect on him. He had too much to worry about right now, and that was a nice antidote. "Yes, Navaar. Please, helps us finish this, and then we can deal. I promise."

When it was obvious she couldn't sway him otherwise, she finally gave in. "Fine, but the price for our help with dramatically increase."

"So be it," Archer told her, "but I'm not leaving until everything is resolved."

"You'll have our assistance then," Navaar replied, but she didn't sound too happy about it. She could have pressed the issue, with all the battle ships at her disposable, but a willing Captain Archer would be so much better than one she had to force. And she knew the human to be a man of his word; he'd keep his promise.

The Captain then ordered the rest of the MACOs and senior staff to go get checked out in sickbay, and then report for duty. The women that looked like Orions would have to wait until things were really finished before they could be returned to their normal appearance. They were asked to report for duty immediately. The Orions tagged along with T'Pol up to the bridge. After everyone, but Tam had been assigned some place to go, Trip lingered behind.

Archer had a feeling Trip wanted to lecture him, and he probably should rightly so, but he was not in the mood to indulge the commander now. "We can talk later, Trip," he said commandingly to his friend. "Now is not the time."

Trip blew out his breath. "I'll let it go for now, but we _will_ talk, and you _will _tell me everythin'; the whole truth and nothin' but the truth. Somethin' really bad almost happened down there, and you need to face it."

"I know," was Archer's whispered reply.

Trip had been expecting to get an argument, so when Archer agreed with him; it took him aback for a minute. "Okay then. I'll go get Phlox to remove my damn chip, and then I'll go check on Engineerin'; make sure the ladies left it in one piece," he added jokingly at the end. He left after he got Archer to nod at him.

"We'll set you up with guest quarters, Mr. Tam," he said to the Betazoid. "Then when things are resolved, we'll find a way to get you home. That is the least I can do for you."

"Thank you, Captain," Andrus said, putting a hand on Archer's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "That would be most kind of you."

"Why did you do it?" Archer suddenly asked. "Why did you help save, Mai?"

"Because a love like yours is rare, Captain," Andrus said with a small smile. "At least it is in my experience. I just couldn't stand by and let it die, especially when you are just discovering it for yourselves. I hope I can find a love like yours one day."

Archer didn't know what to say in return. The Betazoid had obviously picked up on his and Mai's feelings for each other. At first the Captain had the impression that Tam might have wanted to try and be his rival for Mai's affections. He guessed that was no longer the case. Tam's turn around confused him, but it did his heart good to find some form of integrity and honor in the alien. It might be the start of a successful first contact with his species, which would be a morale booster for his crew and his superiors back at Starfleet Headquarters. It was nice to know that their were species out here with similar propensities for good.

"Well," Archer finally cleared his throat and spoke, "I am glad you found something of worth in my species. We don't always come off in a positive light."

"Don't underestimate your example and influence," Andrus wisely told him. "No species is perfect. I'm probably not the greatest specimen of mine either, but if the good outweighs the bad, then that is all that matters in the end. Humans are a noble people, Captain Archer. I have no doubt about that. You saved me, a stranger; you trusted me too. That means more than could ever know."

Archer lapsed into silence again, trying to come to another decision. Andrus knew that the Captain wanted to help the Arterminian men, but didn't think he had the right to try and overthrow their government and attempt to change their society. Andrus admired the human's desire to right wrongs and make unjust things just. Something told him that Archer had had more effect on the Arterminians just by being who he was. It would not take any great measures or official interference to change the situation down on the planet far below them.

"Follow your heart, Captain," Andrus said softly. "Something tells me that it won't lead you astray."

"That mind reading trick of yours is unnerving, but mighty handy," Archer commented with a small and sad smile. "You'd make a great advisor or counselor, you know that."

Andrus tipped his head to the side as he considered Archer's words. "Never thought of my abilities in that arena, but you might just be right."

TBC

**Okay, you know what to do. What is the verdict on this chapter? Did it come off with the humor I intended it to? Did I include nice tie-ins to other Trek series? Was the drama and emotional turmoil with Archer and Mai in the right balance? Oh, and did anyone catch my little stolen idea from the TV show **_**Xena: Warrior Princess**_**? Let me know what you guys think. Thanks! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own any of the rights to anything Star Trek. They are the property of CBS/Paramount. The storyline and the new characters in it are the only things I claim as mine. I'm not making any money off of this. I'm only playing with the characters and their world for fun. Thanks.**

**A/N: I bet you guys thought that I had just left this story hanging; not so. I had totally intended to post this sooner, but sometimes life just gets in the way. This chapter is a little longer than most because I really didn't want to have two more chapters, but I had a lot of loose ends to tie up. I hope I did a relatively good job. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers. You guys are the best.**

**Please, since this is the last chapter, let me know what your overall impressions were about this story and how I ended it. **

**Happy New Year to everyone!!!!!**

**Thanks to LadyRainbow for all her time and effort put into beta reading this story for me. She thankfully reminded me that I had unfinished business with Hoshi and Malcolm, so thank her for the addition I put in this chapter. She is a rock star!!!!! **

**Chapter 14**

**Balancing Act**

Captain Jonathan Archer sat in his ready room and tried to sort out three different, but equally complex problems: what to do with the Arterminian queen and negotiate for ten more of his crew that were still being held in captivity down on the planet, what kind of deal or favors he was going to have to make or offer to the Orions, and what to do about him and Mai. The last problem was probably the least important one right now, but it weighed the most heavily upon Archer; the one he found himself dwelling on the most, even though he _knew_ it shouldn't be.

He loved her, and now he realized that she loved him too. He had arsinely let his feelings for her seriously compromise and cloud his judgment, even if it was for only a few brief moments. Archer had thought that that kind of thing would never happen to him, that he had too much experience and good self-control. He obviously wasn't as immune or in control of himself as he had so foolishly assumed. It was very humbling to learn he was as human as the next man. For all his high ideals, he was still fallible when it came to matters of the heart. The Captain shook his head at himself for what had to be about the tenth him in so many minutes.

Archer needed to concentrate on how to get the rest of his men back aboard his ship effectively and safely. That was what really matter right now, instead through, he kept coming back to how he was going to deal with Mai.

Mairead was sleeping peacefully in sickbay, under Dr. Phlox's watchful and kind care. The doctor had given her some compounds to help reoxygenate her blood and balance her electrolytes. She had some minor bruises and abrasions that Phlox attended to, but all she really needed was some good, old-fashioned rest to recuperate. That had been a great relief to Archer; one less thing to worry about. Andrus had offered to keep an eye on Mai as well. He had also volunteered to be present for when Archer had to negotiate with the Arterminians.

The chiming of the door startled him out of his muddled thoughts. He absently call out, "Come," not even bothering to ask who it was. He had the lights of his ready room turned down low so he could brood in the dim light. He barely registered the door hissing open and closed.

"My, my, my, Captain," Navaar's distinctive purr echoed all around him in the cramped space of his small ready room. "A man like you shouldn't be sitting all alone in the dark."

Navaar sashayed over to where he was sitting at his desk. He had been staring out his viewport window as the starship orbited the Arterminian homeworld. At Navaar's soft and seductive voice, he had turned to face the door and her. Her deep green skin seemed to glow in the low light, and her intensely blue eyes sparkled like sapphires. As scantly clad as ever, she was a magnificent sight, and Archer felt the old stirring of desire he had long tried to forget about.

"What do you want, Navaar?" Archer asked tiredly. "I thought we'd agreed to discuss the situation after all my crew was safe from harm."

Navaar pouted at him, looking even sexier than a moment before. "We had, Captain, but something told me we should take care of _our_ business first."

Archer knew exactly what the Orion woman was doing; she figured she'd have more power over him to get whatever it was she wanted out of him while he was stilled concerned and worried over his people. He wondered how she had slipped past Malcolm on the bridge to end up in his ready room. Then he remembered just how sly and persuasive Orion females could be; it didn't take much really, and Malcolm was not immune to their pheromones unfortunately. Trip was the only man who could claim that honor.

"All right," Archer agreed with a heavy sigh. He just wanted to get his over with, although he had wanted to do this with T'Pol around so Navaar couldn't take even more advantage of him. "What do you want from me?" he asked wearily as he rubbed his face.

"Don't sound so forlorn about this whole situation," Navaar replied in a hurt tone, pouting further. "This doesn't have to be unpleasant," she added, coming around the desk to stand right in front of him.

"I know," Archer told her as kindly as he could. "We—I _do_ owe you a lot of gratitude for all of your help, but—," he was cut off before he could finish.

Navaar literally draped herself in his lap; one arm going around his shoulders, and the other arm resting a green hand on his chest. He tried to breathe normally and fight off how nice it felt. "Shhh, Captain," she told him quietly. "I want to make this as easy and painless for you as possible. I genuinely like you, and I meant what I said about you being one of the very few honest men that I have met."

Archer gulped as she ran a green finger along his jaw line. "Thank you," he rasped.

"You are very welcome," she cooed, leaning into kiss his lips.

Finding some hidden strength of will, thanks to thinking about Mai, he swiftly stood, picking Navaar up and placing her back on the floor. Then he deftly slid past her to the other side of his desk. He knew he'd stand no chance against her pheromone-laden kiss. Navaar shook her head in disappointment, but for the time being she stayed where he had placed her.

She smiled coyly at him, however, and said, "I'm impressed, Captain. Your self-control has improved."

_Not really_,Archer thought to himself, _but I have Mai to think about now. _Out loud he said, "What do you want in return for your help in rescuing my people?" He decided to stay blunt and to the point: it seemed to help him to remain on topic.

"I want many things from you, Jonathan," Navaar softened her voice even more as she called Archer by his first name. The Captain felt his knees want to buckle, but he forced himself to stay rooted to the spot on his side of the desk. Navaar went on, "But…I will settle for a really important main one."

"Which is?" Archer asked impatiently; he couldn't take much more of this.

"Patience, Captain, I'll make my demands soon enough," Navaar chided him. "I want a kiss first. It has been far too long."

Archer felt the color drain out of his face. That kind of physical contact with an Orion female was just what he was attempting to not have; it was not a good idea. He _would _be overcome and lose all of his rational thinking; be complete putty in her hands. He shivered as he remembered how it had happened before.

"You know that's not fair, Navaar," he told her as one would a small child.

She smiled smugly at him again. "You can't blame a girl for trying," she said innocently. "We'll deal and you can seal it with a kiss." She was not about to give up on that point it seemed.

Archer closed his eyes, struggling not to give in to the euphoric feeling being around Navaar created in him. "Fine," he found himself agreeing in a whisper.

"See that wasn't so hard now was it, Captain?" Navaar queried, moving to stand right in front of Archer again. "What I want in return for our grand rescue is very simple. I want you to be our—the Orion Syndicate's—advocate with your Starfleet and the new Coalition you humans are putting together. We want to be part of it, but since you think of us as little more than pirates and slavers, well, you can see our dilemma."

Archer felt his jaw drop in complete and total shock at Navaar's request. It was absolutely the opposite of what he thought she was going to ask for. He was stunned speechless, not knowing how to respond to her.

"That is not a becoming look on you," Navaar seductively teased him and used her soft hand to close his mouth by pushing his chin back up.

She smelled so fresh and so sweet. Archer's head was starting to buzz, an effect of her touch and close proximity. The Orion woman took advantage of Archer's silence and hesitation by tracing his lips with one long and gentle finger. The Captain had to draw a shaky breath.

"Stop it, Navaar, please," he begged when he found his voice. "You don't need to seduce me to get me to agree with your request."

Navaar leaned closer, stepping up to kiss Archer on the cheek. Then she drew away, giving him a little space. "I'm sorry, my dear Captain," she said alluringly. "I can't help myself. You are a very prized trophy that I want so very badly. You are hard to resist. I like playing with you."

Archer closed his eyes again, making himself take big, deep breaths. He centered his thoughts back on his beloved Mai once more; her bright smile, her kind heart, her cheerful attitude, her quirky sense of humor, and her soft body. That seemed to help him find some focus again. Maybe his deep feelings for her could be an asset after all and not just a hardy complication.

"But," Navaar was continuing, "I realize that if you are going to plead our case before your superiors and leaders in the Coalition, you need to be able to have some faith and trust in us."

Opening his eyes, Archer found that Navaar had seated herself on his ready room couch, a fair distance away. She still sat perched provocatively on it, letting him get a good look at all of her fine assets, but it wasn't as bad as having her in his face.

"Okay," Archer then said, sitting uneasily on the edge of his desk, folding his arms across his chest, ready to hear Navaar out. He was extremely curious about what this was really all about. "Why does an organization like the Orion Syndicate care about the little coalition that Earth is working to put together?"

Navaar's face lit up as she smiled again at him. "I thought you would never ask, Jonathan. We are a people based on commerce and profit, as you well know. We have had our free reign of this region of space for a long time. We want to keep it that way. Going to war is a very costly enterprise." She smirked at her pun. "We would rather avoid it with Earth and her new allies. Our leadership feels that working out a contract with you would be a more profitable and beneficial solution to the problem your people's new, unexpected, and rather powerful presence out here. Your resourcefulness and influence have been very surprising to say the least."

Archer tried not to let his mouth drop open again. The Orions considered Earth and its new Coalition formidable enough to want to have some kind of accords with them. This blew his mind. _Maybe we are doing some good out here_, he thought to himself again. _But then again when Harrad-Sar first approached us he had said similar things. Can I trust this offer? _another little voice in his head said.

"I like what I'm hearing from you, Navaar," he told her seriously, "but I will have a very hard time convincing humans, Vulcans, and others to deal with a people who traffic in slaves, especially ones who are abducted against their wills."

"We would agree to leave any species in the Coalition alone, in that regard, if you agree to not interfere with how we do business otherwise. I have been instructed to tell you that should you ever be in need of our aid, you shall receive it. We would like your money, not your lives. Trade with you would open up whole new markets for us."

_So it all comes down to lucre, money_, Archer thought bitterly. _Well, it is a place to start. _Then another thought occurred to him, which he voiced out loud. "So this whole rescue you mission you helped us with was to curry favor with us? You wanted to show us your softer side?"

"You are not only handsome, Captain, but intelligent as well," Navaar purred. "You catch on quickly. We did indeed want you to see that we are willing to work with you; that we are not all _that_ bad. We _can_ be friends."

"Like I said before, it will not be easy to fulfill your request, but it is a very reasonable one. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to get talks going. I think it would be a mutually beneficial thing to have happen," the Captain said, relieved that the demand or favor was so straightforward and uncomplicated.

"Excellent," Navaar said as she sprung up from the couch and closed the distance between them again. "I knew you would do the right thing."

"You know," Archer told her sincerely, "all you would've had to do was ask me to entreat my superiors and the Coalition Council. You didn't have to go through all this whole dog and pony show to get my help."

Navaar's beautiful face was marred by confusion at Archer's human colloquialism, but then she laughed heartily at his comment once she understood it. Her laughter sent waves of pleasure tingling throughout the Captain's body, and he had to grip the desk to suppress them. "We wanted to prove our sincerity to you. We wanted to impress upon you just how serious we were to gain you as allies and not have you as our enemies, Captain. Our last encounter did not leave a very favorable impression, I know. I was simply determined to change your mind," she explained as she pressed herself into him as she spoke.

Archer tried to back up, but his backside met the desk; he was trapped. Navaar slowly and tantalizingly slipped her arms up and around his neck. She captured his lips with hers. The Captain resisted her for a moment, attempting to extract himself from her and push her away. It was a losing battle for him, however, the instant Navaar deepened the kiss, tasting all of his mouth. Archer's hesitation quickly became a thing of the past and he kissed her back greedily.

His arms moved to encircle her waist, pulling her even closer to him. Her green flesh was warm, soft, and oh-so-inviting. The Captain was vaguely aware of Navaar backing them up toward the couch. He knew things were escalating out of control, but he was starting not to care, enslaved by Navaar's pheromones.

Navaar tasted like some sweet nectar that he couldn't quite get enough of. Her mouth and lips felt electric. _I can't do this, _the more rational part of his mind cried. _I can't fall into this trap again._ Archer turned his thoughts to Mai to try and break Navaar's spell. Real love, he hoped, would work in his favor over chemical manipulation. The MACO major's sunny face took shape in his mind. Thinking about her brought remembered delight at their compatibility and mutual love of exploring and discovering the new. This delight began to flood his synapses.

The Captain reached down deep into his core, his soul, and fought Navaar's influence. Just as she reached down to unzip his jumpsuit uniform that he was extremely happy to be wearing again, he grabbed her wrist forcefully, stopping her. "This isn't going to happen. Not this time, Navaar," he found himself growling at her, breaking their lip lock.

"Now, now, Captain," she scolded. "I'm afraid it is." Snagging his lips with hers again, she grew even more aggressive as she pulled him down onto the ready room couch.

For more control of the situation, Navaar flipped them so she could straddle him as he lay on the couch. All the various movements they made together sent his hormones into overdrive; his thoughts of Mai quickly dissipating. She increased her pressure on his mouth, gently letting her body rub along his.

"I've missed you, Jonathan," she whispered in his ear, kissing along it and then his jaw line. "You are one of the only ones who got away, but not anymore."

Archer had to use every bit of Starfleet training to make himself sit up and push Navaar away again. It took herculean effort, but his new found relationship with Mai, a woman who was priced far above rubies, meant more to him than anything. He was not going to lose what had taken him over a decade to find, just because some alien woman was trying to wrangle him into a compromising position.

"I have someone important in my life now, Navaar," he suddenly blurted out, trying to voice his thoughts.

_That_ statement got the Orion woman's attention. She let Archer stand and walk away from her. "That is a new and unforeseen development," she said with strange edge in her voice. The Captain turned to see her jaw was set in a hard, clenched line, and her eyes had a cold fire burning in them. "It is only a minor complication, however. I can make it so you'll forget she ever existed."

"Somehow, I serious doubt that," Archer found himself snapping at her, annoyed she would dismiss his feelings for Mai so callously.

"You have only seen a small part of how much control I can exercise over a male, Captain," Navaar said threateningly. "You _owe _me. I told you the price for our help would dramatically increase; _you_ are the prize that I want."

Here was the real intent Navaar had had all along; he was her true price. Archer realized he was her "white whale", like from the novel _Moby Dick_ come to life. He was the one man she hadn't been able to dominate and make hers. She wanted to rectify that situation, protect her reputation, and come out the victor just like she had every other time. Navaar didn't like to lose and was determined to win this rematch.

Instantly, Archer knew he was in deep trouble. He tried one last diplomatic approach, before he called security. "You said the price for your help would go up if you aided us in getting back the rest of my men still trapped down on the planet. You also made that statement after you agreed to help me negotiate Hippolyta and Lydia's fates with the Arterminians. You have done neither of those things. So technically, I don't owe you any payment for that."

Navaar stood abruptly, clearly angry; it made her even sexier than a few minutes ago. Archer could see she knew his point was correct. Apparently she didn't care, however, for in the next second a warm and heady feeling overcame him. He felt like he was majorly drunk and his mind seemed to grow very foggy. His last reasonable thought was, _She must have amplified her pheromone output somehow. _The next minute all he could think about, all he wanted was Navaar; she was his only desire.

This time he was the aggressor, grabbing her roughly and pulling her sexy, feminine body back against his. His mouth found hers hungrily, feasting on her. Navaar gave him no resistance, only encouragement, liking this more savage side of Archer. They didn't make it to the couch; they found the floor instead, full of passion and lust.

At that moment, Archer's ready room door hissed open as T'Pol, Trip, and Andrus came pouring through it. Trip and T'Pol were armed with phase pistols, but not Andrus. Neither Navaar or Archer registered their entrance.

"It looks like you're right, Tam," Trip proclaimed. "Our Cap'n _is _in trouble. I'm sure glad you picked up on his unusual flux of emotions."

Navaar, upon hearing Trip's voice, pulled back from the Captain again, sitting up with her back against the bottom of the couch. "Don't you know how rude it is to interrupt an Orion at work," she hissed, eyes narrowed at Trip. "Oh, it's _you_," she spat in addition when she recognized Trip.

"Yeah, darlin', it's me," Trip drawled sarcastically. "Yer favorite man."

T'Pol raised one of her eyebrows at Trip's flippant comment, but she really expected no less from him. Andrus silently shook his head in slight amusement. The Captain, on the floor, was not amused in the least. He was down-right angry at being disturbed, the Orion pheromones still coursing through him.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing, Commander?" he demanded with a snarl directed at Trip as he sat up.

"Rescuin' your ass. Whatda think were doin', Cap'n?" Trip returned.

"What!?" Archer asked in a rage, confused. "Get the hell out of here!"

"Sorry, sir, but I can't follow your orders for your own sake," Trip said firmly.

"You are not in control of your own faculties, Captain, " T'Pol broke into the conversation with a calm voice. "Your mind is not your own. You are under an alien influence."

Navaar slid closer to Archer to whisper in his ear. "Don't listen to them, Jonathan. They only want to take your ship and command away from you."

"Is this mutiny, Commander?" he accused T'Pol. "You and the Vulcan High Command want my ship is that it? You want to see us fail."

Andrus interrupted before T'Pol could answer. "His current condition is causing him to dredge up old grievances and past fears. They are a distortion of what he is really feeling."

"Andrus Tam," Navaar's soft and silky voice drifted toward him. "I have been looking forward to meeting you formally. D'Nesh can't stop talking about you," she said charmingly.

The feeling of her pheromones suddenly hit the Betazoid full blast. Despite his best efforts, he caught every lustful thought that Navaar threw at him, especially the ones of what D'Nesh thought about him. A silly smile broke out across his face. "Really?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," Navaar said, making her voice purr again. "She thought you to be a fine male specimen; handsome, strong, and well-built. I have to agree with her assessment. You are singularly attractive. I can see why the Arterminians kept you."

Andrus was warm all over, enjoying the green woman's flattery. His body felt like liquid, and he wanted nothing more than to melt into Navaar. She was truly a breathtaking beauty. He was compelled to walk over closer to her.

Archer didn't like all the attention Navaar was giving the other man. "Take one more step this way, Tam, and I'll break you in half," he grimly informed Andrus as he stood. The Captain's hazel-green eyes flashed his seething anger and jealousy. His hands also balled into tight fists at his side.

Trip and T'Pol shared a worried look. They could see where this was headed, and they knew Navaar was manipulating the situation to try and gain the upper hand. Making Archer jealous enough to strike out would solidify her hold on him; tie him to her that much more strongly.

"Cap'n," Trip said cheerfully. "Let's just go see Dr. Phlox. He would be the best judge of your mental state. Then we can go on from there."

"There's _nothing _wrong with my mental state, Commander," Archer barked at him. "I never thought I'd see you side with the Vulcans, Trip. Some friend you've turn out to be." The last part was spat out at Trip.

T'Pol both felt, through her bond with Trip, and watched him work on not letting the Captain's words hurt him. She could see it in his eyes, as well as feel his emotional turmoil. She herself had to fight the sting of his words. While the accusations Archer was hurling at them were not valid and were things that she and the Captain had moved passed, they still bothered her more than she would like to admit. Trip's influence on her emotional control was sometimes a blessing and sometimes it was a curse.

"You know me better than that, Jon," Trip replied through tight lips.

"Do I?" Archer snapped.

"Yes, you do," Trip said without hesitation. "You know I'm only tryin' to help you."

Andrus had used the momentary argument to stand right next to Navaar. He leaned over and breathed in her intoxicating aroma. It was too much for Archer to take. "Back off, Tam," he snarled.

"Make me," the Betazoid growled tauntingly back.

"Gladly," the Captain told him and pushed the other man back roughly.

Before Andrus could strike back, Trip stunned him with his phase pistol. He grunted and collapsed on the ground before Navaar.

"Thanks, Trip," Archer said, looking at the commander in pleasant surprise.

"Oh, don't thank me, sir," Trip said hoarsely.

"Why not? You just proved me wrong. You _are _still loyal to me," the Captain said with pride.

"And I always will be," Trip told him with a sad smile, "but you'll have to forgive me."

That statement confused Archer. "For what?" he asked.

"This," Trip said and fired the phase pistol at his superior officer and friend.

The Captain arched as the stun beam hit him, and then he crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes next to the unconscious Betazoid at Navaar's feet. T'Pol winced slightly at Trip's forceful actions, but she saw them as logical, necessary evils to solve the problem.

"I suggest you tone things down, return to your quarters, or I'll throw your pretty little ass in the brig. We owe you, but don't press your luck lady," Trip spoke boldly to Navaar.

"I could order my battle cruisers to fire on your ship," Navaar threatened, clearly unhappy.

Trip decided to call her bluff. "And risk your precious hide in the process? I don't think so."

"Oh, I don't have to destroy _Enterprise_, just cripple it," Navaar told him menacingly.

T'Pol spoke up again. "I do not think you would logically want to jeopardize the improved relations between the Earth and the Orion Syndicate this whole situation has generated," she said stoically. Vulcans did not make guesses or assumptions, but all the facts T'Pol had put together could only lead to this one hypothesis.

Navaar glared at the Vulcan woman. It was only because of her that Navaar's mission had failed the first time. Archer and the _Enterprise_ would be hers if it wasn't for T'Pol. Not surprising to Navaar, the Vulcan female was intelligent and had done all the math to figure out what part of the Orions' plans were.

"If you refrain from letting greed outstrip your business astuteness," T'Pol said meaningfully, "you will achieve your objectives here. Commander Tucker is correct in saying that we are logically in your debt. We will not, however, let you overstep your bounds or take unfair advantage of us. This will be a business contract."

"In other words, quit while you're ahead, and you'll come out smellin' like a rose," Trip interrupted colorfully.

Navaar couldn't help the small smile that curved her lips. "Well put, Commander Tucker. All right," she sighed heavily, full of regret. "I will do as you request, but Captain Archer and I still have unfinished business that will need to be addressed."

"That'll be up to him," Trip hedged, not fully wanting to commit the Captain to anything. "Once his head is clear, that is," he stressed in addition.

"Agreed," Navaar gave in and let Trip escort her back to her guest quarters while T'Pol called security to take Archer and Tam to sickbay.

* * *

Archer woke up on a biobed trying to remember how he had gotten there. To his unexpected delight, he found Mai in the biobed next to him. She was awake and staring at him with a smirk on her pretty face. _What happened to me?_ he wondered.

"'Ello there, Cap'n," she said with amusement thick in her voice.

"Hi," he lamely replied. "Why do I feel like I'm missing something here?" he then asked.

"Oh, it's jist the fact that Trip had ta shoot ya and relieve ya of command for a while. T'Pol's in charge right now," Mairead informed him, her smirk turning into a bright smile that lit up her whole face.

"Huh?" Archer asked dumbly, still not getting it.

Now Mairead laughed right out loud at him. It was a delightful sound to Archer and made him feel warm and content. "You really don't remember what happened ta ya?" she questioned.

"Think green and female," Andrus Tam said from another biobed on the other side of Mairead.

It was then that all of the memories came flooding back to the Captain, threatening to drown him. He shivered as he realized what Navaar had done to him, again. His face grew hot, and he knew he was blushing a furious red.

"Blimey," Mairead said humorously. "It must be comin' back ta him now."

"That is a good guess," Andrus commented in return.

Archer looked at Mai in horror, it dawning on him that she somehow knew all about the incident in his ready room with Navaar. He then glanced at Andrus. The Betazoid seemed to sense the Captain's shift in mood.

"Yes, I told Mai about what happened with Navaar," Andrus started to say, and he hurried on at Archer's darkening look, "but don't worry, I also told her all about how I was affected too; how I challenged you."

"Don't worry, Jonny," Mairead said lightly, gently reaching out to pat Archer's arm. "I don't think any less of ya, lad. I jist can't help but find it hilarious."

The Captain blushed an even deeper red at Mai's words. "What do you find so funny?" he managed to ask her, his voice hoarse.

"That fer some reason women are gettin' the better of you today," Mairead told him with another bright smile. "It's jist not somethin' I thought I'd ever see."

For some strange reason, relief washed through Archer. Mai was not mad at him for being tempted by another woman; she was amused by his predicament instead. She wasn't holding it against him; she was happy to see he had his weakness like everybody else. He decided to chalk it up to the fact that she had always looked up to him, thought he was perfect and could do no wrong. He had started their friendship out as her mentor and part of her had idolized him. Now she could see just how much a regular guy he really was.

Andrus, still unable to not block out the humans' surface thoughts, picked up on the fact that Mai and Archer need to talk privately. Dr. Phlox, however, was hovering near by, preventing any intimate discussion. The Betazoid made the decision to intervene and help the two humans out a little bit.

"Dr. Phlox," he called in a friendly manner. "Isn't it about time for you to feed your unique collection of creatures?" he then asked innocently.

Phlox stepped out from behind a curtain with a large smile on his face. "Why, yes it is," he said jovially.

"I think it would do me a world of good to get up and take a leisurely walk and accompany you. I would love to get a look at them," Andrus continued on, subtly winking at Mai and Archer.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Mr. Tam," was Phlox's happy reply, oblivious to Andrus' true intentions. "I just need to check on the Captain first." He then walked over closer to Archer's biobed, glancing up at the Captain's readings. "How are you feeling, Captain? More yourself I hope?"

Archer felt himself blush again despite himself. "Yeah, Phlox, I'm fine, except for being a little dizzy and slightly lightheaded."

"And that is perfectly normal for when someone is coming down off such a pheromone high," Phlox informed him. "Navaar hit you with a very large dose. She must have really felt she needed your total compliance with her wishes, Captain."

"She wouldn't take no for an answer no matter how many times I said it," Archer now remembered. "She didn't like being rebuffed, so she spiked my punch so to speak," he added with a small smile.

"I'll say," Andrus responded. "The minute I walked into the room, I was totally overcome. It was almost like I had hit a physical wall. You must have made Navaar really have to throw it at you."

"That's the Captain Archer I know," Mairead said without her usual Irish accent. Her eyes held a deep respect for her friend and colleague.

Andrus carefully got off his biobed and wobbled over to Phlox. "Let's take a look at those fine specimens of yours. Then you can update your Captain on the current situation."

Phlox seemed to agree with the Betazoid. "Yes, letting the Captain rest for a short while longer would be a wise thing to do," he said, grabbing on to Andrus to steady him and lead him away from the other patients.

Once the two were out of earshot, it was Mairead who jumped at the chance that Andrus had given her and the Captain. "I'm sorry about what happened down there. I made a stupid, rookie mistake and almost cost us everythin'," she gushed.

"It's me who should be sorry, Mai," Archer said looking at his hands suddenly as if they were something more interesting than they were. "I let my feelings for you cloud my judgment, and I almost did something I would have deeply regretted. I now really understand the no frat rule."

A quick glance at Mairead made Archer want to take back his words instantly. Her whole demeanor had changed; her head was hanging, her eyes glistened, and her bright smile was replaced with a panic-stricken look. "This is all me fault. I should never have taken the assignment aboard _Enterprise_. It tis foolish ta think that we can work together like this. I'll write up a request fer transfer as soon as Dr. Phlox releases me from sickbay. I don't want ta cause ya anymore problems, Jonny," she said frantically.

"Slow down, Mai," Archer tried to say calmly. "That's not what I meant. I don't want you to be reassigned. We just need to find a balance between our professional relationship and our personal one."

"How do we do that?" Mairead demanded, her tone showing some anger. "I know what it's like ta lose someone on the job. I lost me husband that way. I can't go through that again. Instead of worrying about the safety of the crew as a whole, I know I would find meself worrying more about you, lad. Me judgment would be too compromised, and so would yours; I know you."

Archer knew she had a point, but something told him they could handle this, if they worked it through. "How long have we been friends, Mai?" he suddenly asked her.

"What has that got ta to with it?" Mairead asked in annoyance.

"Just answer the question, Mairead," he said with more authority. "How long?"

"Over ten years," she sighed.

"And in all the time, we had feelings for each other that went beyond just friendship, right?" he continued to quiz her.

"Yeah, I guess," Mairead reluctantly admitted with her arms crossed in front of her.

"Did they ever interfere with our duties? Weren't we able to contain them, hide them away from everyone else, including each other?" he queried.

Mairead grew thoughtful as she considered his words. "No, they didn't interfere with us doing our jobs. And yes, we got good at suppressing them."

"I've had to learn how to balance close friendships with my role as Captain," Archer then explained to her. "Some of that learning cleaned my clock. Trip and I have been friends almost as long as we have. I'd even consider him family, a brother. I had to learn the hard way just how far I was willing to go for a friend. I did some incredibly selfish things in the Expanse during the Xindi conflict concerning Trip. What I discovered about myself scared the shit out of me. The road I started to go down led me to a dark place I didn't want be. It turned me into a person I didn't want to be. I'm not going to make those same mistakes again; I'm going to learn from them. My experiences have given me a new perspective to work from, even though I messed up back there with Hippolyta; it will not happen again."

"But now, we both know how each other really feels," Mairead dredged up. "I love ya, Jonny. I really do."

"I love you too, Mai, and I love that I can freely say that to you now," Archer said to her, reaching out and taking one of her hands in his. "I don't want you to have to ask for reassignment. I don't want this assignment to be a blemish on your spotless record. We've talked about this before, sweetheart."

He looked her right in the eye, squeezing her hand. "Like a said earlier, we've denied ourselves deep feelings for each other for a long time, but it was out of fear and uncertainty. We can surely deny ourselves a little longer with the comfort of knowing that we now have hope and confidence in how we each feel about the other. I'll say it again; finish your tour here aboard _Enterprise_. Then we can decided what to do from there. We will be professional, but we can find solace in the fact that we are more than friends. Besides, it was thinking about you and how much you mean to me that allowed me to fight off Navaar's influence for as long as I did. You saved me until the cavalry arrived, Mai. "

That got a relieved and pleased smile out of her. "I am kinda gittin' tried of this military lifestyle anyway," Mairead confessed. "Maybe after this last tour I could retire. I've always wanted ta teach. Trainin' the next generation might be appealin'."

Archer felt his heart break at what she said. "I don't want you to give up your career because of me. I don't want you to lose out on exploring space and protecting people," he hurriedly said.

"Oh, Jonny, lad," Mairead sighed, bringing his hand to her lips and kissing it lightly. "I only picked me career thinkin' it would somehow bring me closer ta you. That was obviously the wrong call. I won't let it keep us apart now. Besides, if I do decide ta stay here on _Enterprise_, I would get ta do all the explorin' I'd ever dreamed of. That would be more than enough, if I knew that I got ta have you, too, in the end."

"Then, let's agree to work on our balancing act," he entreated her. "If we, or those around us, see a real slip in how we perform our duties, then we can revaluate things then. We can make this work, Mai. We just have to be logical about it."

Mairead laughed heartily at his statement. "Your Vulcan first officer is really rubbing off on you isn't she?" Mairead said her real bright smile back on her face.

"I guess she is," Archer laughed along with her.

"Okay, Captain Archer, we'll give this the old college try," Mairead told him, squeezing his hand back, "and see if we can handle it."

* * *

Hoshi sat at her communications station on the bridge, contently going about her normal routine. She and Malcolm had just finished up their important "talk" over breakfast that morning.

"How are you feeling?" Hoshi had asked him. "Fully recovered from your ordeal?"

"I'm feeling much better. Thank you for asking," he had said carefully.

"So…," Hoshi had tried to cautiously broach the main topic of their breakfast meeting. "About what happened on down on the planet…between us…"

"Yes, that was...an unexpected… revelation," Malcolm had told her, "but not an unpleasant one," he added hastily.

Hoshi had felt herself blush. "You've always treated me so kindly and I've always enjoyed your company, but I think there's something more to it than that," she had finally confessed.

"I feel exactly the same way, Hoshi," Malcolm had concurred. "The thing is—," but Hoshi had cut him off.

"You're my superior officer and that could make things complicated," Hoshi had supplied for him.

Malcolm had had an answer for that. "You're due to be promoted soon anyway."

"So are you," Hoshi had pointed out.

"Let's just let nature take its course," Malcolm had compromised. "Spend a little more time together, off duty, nothing formal, mind you, but some activities that could let us get to know each other not in our assigned starship roles."

"I might be game," Hoshi had hedged, looking at the sincere expression on her friend's face.

"You're a beautiful and talented woman, Hoshi Sato, and I would be a total git if I passed the opportunity by to see what lies ahead with someone like you," Malcolm had blurted out. "I don't want to end up like my counter part on the second _Enterprise _from the Expanse. I don't want to live my life alone. I'm not good at communicating how I feel, but I'm willing to learn from you. I'm willing to take a personal risk here for you, because something deep inside tells that you are worth it."

Hoshi had known her eyes were glistening as she had listened to him fumble through his speech. "How long did you practice that in front of the mirror?" she had then joked to ease both of their tension.

"All night," he had laughed guilty.

"Well, it was worth it, because I got the message loud and clear," Hoshi had replied, watching the relief pass over Malcolm's face. "I'm willing to explore our possibility too," she had ended the conversation with a smile.

Now, on the bridge, Hoshi looked up to find Malcolm smiling at her. She smiled back and winked at him. _This is one adventure that I'm sure will be interesting, _she thought to herself. _Interesting and beautiful._

* * *

When Phlox had determined that the Captain was fit for duty again, Archer headed straight for the bridge. He was worried about the rest of his men still trapped on the planet and what to do with the queen and Lydia. T'Pol had informed him that all was well and that the situation had been resolved. Archer couldn't quite believe it, so he rushed up to the bridge to find out what had happened. Mairead talked Pholx into letting her go as well. She wasn't about to let the Captain deal with the circumstances all by himself. Andrus quietly accompanied them up to the bridge too.

"T'Pol, report," was the Captain's brisk command as he swept out of the turbolift.

"It is agreeable to see you more in character, Captain," T'Pol greeted him with. "As it is you, Major Donnelly."

"What's going on, T'Pol?" Archer asked impatiently.

T'Pol merely raised a pointed brow at his tone. "The Arterminians have allowed our crewmen to return to the ship. They are now holding Hippolyta and Lydia in preparation to try them for crimes against their people," she quietly informed him.

"How did that happen?" Archer found himself wanting to know.

"You can thank our green friends," Trip spoke up from his seat near Malcolm's tactical station. "They conducted a lot of the negotiations, using their Orion Syndicate muscle and financial influence. They threatened war and an embargo of the entire system."

"You've got to be kidding me," Archer said dumbfounded.

"We also lucked out that most of the younger Arterminian generation decided to rebel and throw off their archaic past," Trip mentioned.

Mairead grasped as realization came to her. "Dione got the word out. She said there were many who didn'ta share their traditional beliefs, that there were those that wanted equality among their men and women. She mustta cultivated a lot of support," she guessed.

"They have called a special assembly to discuss the adoption of new laws and ordinances and ways to dismantle their current government and replace it with a new one," T'Pol continued on as if she had never been interrupted. "The use of control chips is to be the first item to be repealed and then they will be removed from their men. They are also debating on how to free the alien men that had been enslaved. Some want to let them return to their homeworlds, while others would like them to remain and help them rebuild their culture."

"Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle," Archer proclaimed, earning a chuckled from Trip and those humans with in earshot on the bridge.

"I do not see how humans at your evolutionary level could still be related to other primates on your world," T'Pol said, not getting the joke.

Trip and Mairead laughed even harder at how deep T'Pol's lack of understanding really was. Trip attempted to explain, but couldn't. "Oh, I'll tell you about it later," he roared instead.

"So we changed their way of thinking not through force or any kind of battle, but jist through our example?" Mairead wondered out loud. "Wow."

"I'll say," Archer agreed with a smile. That smile faded quickly, however, as another thought occurred to him. "What do we owe our Orion comrades for this turn of events?" he asked with dread.

"Navaar only said it was her gift to you, Captain," T'Pol told him. "That she fulfilled her end of the contract and that you would now be obligated to fulfill your end."

Archer tried not to let the gulp he felt coming on show. He could easily plead the Orion Syndicate's case before his superiors and before the Coalition Council. It was the other part of the bargain he was worried about. Navaar had seen him as her prize; he was her deal sealer. What did that mean? What would he have to do for her now?

"Did she say anything more?" he asked T'Pol, feigning ignorance.

"Just that she would call upon you at a future date and expect the debt to be repaid," was all T'Pol said.

"I think you got off lightly, Captain Archer," Andrus finally piped up. "She could have demanded much worse."

Archer considered the Betazoids words carefully. "True. Owing her a favor might not be _that_ bad a situation, but I don't like to be in anyone's debt that way."

"Just consider yourself fortunate, Captain, and do not turn it into something it is not," Andrus advised him. "Navaar genuinely likes and respects you. She and her sisters may turn out to be some of your most handy allies."

"I'll try to keep that in mind, Mr. Tam," Archer said, then quickly changed subjects. "Can we drop you off home?"

"That would be most kind of you, Captain Archer," Andrus said with a smile. "I think your example throughout this ordeal will go along way with my people. They may be very interested in this new Coalition of Planets you are trying to build."

"Well then, let's go ring their doorbell, shall we?" Archer said, anxious to leave this planet and experience behind him.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down in his captain's chair. He watched Mairead walk over and join Malcolm at his tactical station to confer with him. He also noticed Trip get up and stand behind him.

"So, what's going on with you and Mai?" Trip asked candidly.

Archer decided to be honest with his good friend. "We discovered each other in a whole new light down on that planet, Trip. Now we're gonna to have figure out how to deal with it, but we _will_ deal with it and make it work."

Trip looked sideways at his captain. "Well, good luck with that, Cap'n," he said glibly, "because T'Pol and I are still tryin' to figure that out."

"Does it get any easier?" Archer found himself asking.

"Hell no," Trip remarked with a gleam in his eye, "but it's one hellva ride."

~Fin

**What's the verdict? Good, bad, somewhere in between. Let me know what you think. Also, if enough people are inclined I could possibly write another story with Mai aboard the **_**Enterprise**_** and carry out how well or not so well she and Archer deal with how they feel about each other. If I can see that there is some interest, I'll strongly consider writing one. If not, no sweat either. Thanks again for taking the time to read my humble, little story. Fanfiction readers and reviewers rock!!!!**


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